Haunted
by alinaandalion
Summary: When a con goes south, Sophie is kidnapped by the mark.  The team scrambles to save her, and even when rescued, they discover that some scars run too deep to ever be forgotten.
1. Loss

Sophie drummed her fingers against the mahogany desk as she studied Robert Carlisle. He was flanked by four guards; she could hear Eliot grumbling over her earpiece. He had been left behind a floor below to wait with the armed men who had escorted Carlisle to the meeting. All she needed now was the signal from Nate to wrap up her part and disappear once Hardison had made the switch between accounts.

"Hardison, we don't have all day," Nate said, clearly irritated.

Carlisle bent a little closer to Sophie. "I'm looking forward to being business partners, Ms. Florine."

Sophie smiled, ignoring the fact that his hand was creeping its way off the desk and onto her thigh. "I am, as well, Mr. Carlisle."

"Please, call me Rob."

"Arrogant son of a bitch."

She tuned out Nate's remarks and tilted her head in Carlisle's direction. "I knew a man as well-connected and powerful as you would be the right choice."

Hardison's fingers flew over his keyboard as he surveyed the numbers running across his screen. "Okay, give me a couple of seconds, and…. Oh, no. No, no, no."

Nate was at his side in a flash. "What is it?"

"Someone inside the company knows what's going on. They're trying to track my signal."

"Hardison, what does that mean?" Eliot interjected.

"I thought you were the best," Parker hissed as she paused in the middle of rifling through the manila folders she had pulled from Carlisle's safe.

"I am the best," Hardison replied. "This is a case of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and, Nate, there's no way I'm going to be able to pull this off. They'll be able to figure it out and simply switch the accounts back around."

"Okay." Nate sighed and started to pace in front of the couch. "Parker, grab what you have and get out. Eliot, Sophie, you need to make your exit now."

"I'm afraid I can't promise that right now," Sophie said in answer to one of Carlisle's queries. Her phone beeped and she pulled it out, grateful that Hardison had just set up an appointment on the calendar. "I have an appointment that I seem to have forgotten about, so perhaps we can meet another time and discuss this further?"

Carlisle looked up from his own phone, his lips set in a grim line. "What kind of a fool do you take me for?"

"I'm sorry?" Sophie tried to laugh off his statement, but he grabbed her wrist to keep her from edging towards the door.

"I just found out that someone tried to hack into my accounts and move some money around." He motioned for two of the guards to move towards the door. "And, I think it's very coincidental that the account I was going to use to invest in your company was the target."

"Eliot, get in there now," Nate barked.

Eliot eyed the armed guards who were starting to pull out their guns. "I'm a little busy right now. I've got six guys here, all armed."

"Sophie, hold on." Nate grabbed his car keys and jacket. "I'm on my way. Hardison, wait here for Parker. Do not go anywhere unless I tell you otherwise."

"Maybe that's not the best idea. You know, waving guns around for no reason?" Sophie said in a calm voice that distracted from the fact that her legs were trembling.

Nate paused, catching onto the fact that she was trying to talk to him. "I can't just leave you there."

"How many men do you have on the outside?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, let's start with your bodyguard downstairs. Then, you obviously had a hacker to get into the system." He turned to face her. "Am I leaving anyone out?"

She shifted and said, "I hired them for this job. It fell through, they'll clear out."

"But you've been communicating with them. Otherwise, your hacker wouldn't have known when would be the optimum time to hack into the system." Carlisle paused, his eyes lighting up as his eyes skated down her body.

He patted down her torso before forcing her to tilt her head to one side. His fingers shoved inside her ear and pulled out the comm. He grinned and slapped her; she let out a small cry.

Nate froze at the sound of her yelp before saying, "Eliot, I'm on my way. Get to her as fast as you can."

Parker appeared in the doorway as he started to leave, and she scuttled past him to keep a vigil on the counter. Hardison was flipping through the security camera feeds, trying to keep track of any guards who might be headed in Eliot or Sophie's direction.

"Eliot, you have five more two floors down, and they're headed up," Hardison said. "And, there's four in the room with Sophie."

Eliot grunted in acknowledgement of the news and smashed his fist against one man's face while kicking out at another who was rushing him with a knife. Three were slumped on the floor. All of them were without guns.

Carlisle raised the earpiece to his lips. "Do you want to know what we do to people who try to fuck with us?"

He threw the earpiece to the ground and stomped on it. Parker winced when the high-pitched sound went off in her ear, Nate paled even as he stomped on the gas pedal and pushed his car to its maximum speed, Hardison focused all of his attention on the feeds from the camera in that office, and Eliot threw the next to last guard to the ground.

It took him three well-placed punches and one kick to drop the last one. He charged out of the room, taking the stairs three at a time. His lungs burned as he ran down the hallway towards the corner office, using his shoulder to burst through the door even as Hardison delivered the sickening news.

"They took her. And, I can't find them on any of the cameras. We lost her."


	2. Retrieval

"If you had done your job, this wouldn't have happened!" Eliot snarled, curling his hands into fists as he tried to keep from beating Hardison into a pulp.

Hardison didn't look up from his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "I did my job, man. What about you? Aren't you supposed to have our backs?"

Eliot growled and punched the wall, nearly breaking through it. Hardison shuddered at the low thud and let his head fall into his hands as he sighed; Parker appeared at his side, her gaze far away even as she rested her hands on Hardison's shoulders.

"We need you to find Sophie," Parker whispered, her fingers digging into Hardison.

He almost flinched away from her but simply removed her talon-like grasp and patted the couch beside him. "I'm working on it, mama. Where's Nate?"

"What do you have, Hardison?" Nate asked as he walked into the room, his coffee cup clutched tightly in his hands.

Eliot turned from where he had been staring at the wall and eyed Nate's coffee cup. Nate met Eliot's gaze, and Eliot backed down first, satisfied that his unspoken question had been answered.

Hardison pulled up the security footage he had collected. "I pulled everything from the cameras, but after they left the building, I lost track of them. Now, see that car?" He pointed out a black SUV. "That's the one that left with Sophie. If we can find the SUV, we'll find them."

Eliot stepped forward. "They want to know about the rest of us, so they won't have gone far. It'd be a security risk until they know we won't take any further action against their company. They probably didn't leave the city."

Nate looked at him. "Where would be the best place to keep a hostage?"

"Somewhere quiet." Eliot shrugged. "Warehouse, abandoned building, basically anywhere there won't be a lot of people."

"Thanks, man, that really helps," Hardison snapped.

"Eliot," Nate warned when Eliot flexed his fingers and took a few steps in Hardison's direction. Eliot backed down. Satisfied, Nate said, "I need all of you to stay focused. Blame isn't really important right now. Hardison, get to work and let me know if you find anything. Eliot, we'll work on a rescue plan. And, Parker…just don't leave."

Parker had collapsed onto the couch beside Hardison a few minutes earlier, and she didn't look up in acknowledgment of Nate's instructions.

Nate sighed. "Parker?" When he again didn't get an answer, he reached out to touch her shoulder; she shied away from him. He sighed. "Parker, I'll let you know if we need your help. I just…. Just, please, stay here for now."

He left with Eliot in tow, and Hardison looked over at her, his eyes wide with concern. He reached out with his foot and nudged her leg.

"Hey, mama, are you doing okay?"

She looked up at him. "I want to help."

Hardison reached behind him to grab a spare laptop before handing it off to her. "Here. Let me pull up a list of possible locations, and you can research them."

She ran her fingers over the keys, and he saw the tremble in the slender digits.

"We're going to find her. I promise."

He offered a small smile when her eyes flickered up to his, and he reached over to give her hand a small squeeze.

* * *

Sophie let out a small moan as she opened her eyes. She squinted against the harsh fluorescent light and focused on locating the source of the pain rippling through her body. Wriggling her fingers, she shifted her right arm; her left arm followed the movement. They had chained her wrists back up to the wall, then, probably after she had passed out. She attempted a deep breath and immediately regretted it when pain exploded in her chest, causing tears to well up in her eyes. She cataloged that action under the category of "very bad ideas" and settled for listening to see if she could hear anyone near her. The fact that her clothes had been put back on dimly registered in the back of her mind. The sound of pacing echoed back to her through the large building. That was a good thing; they didn't know she was awake.

They didn't like that she hadn't answered their questions. _Who do you work with? Where are they now?_ It was like a bad action movie when the hero was captured and tortured for information; the movies never did mention how badly it all _hurt_, though. The hours had bled together to the point that she would almost believe that she had been there forever, and her world had never consisted of anything past the pain and fear. She hadn't told them anything; she wondered if Eliot would be proud of her resistance. Of course, her motivations to protect the team weren't purely noble. She wasn't stupid. She knew they would kill her once they got the information they wanted. And even though death seemed like an attractive option, she had a damned stubborn survival instinct that was working on full blast.

Fingers prodded at her abdomen, and she tensed. They were talking over her prone body, but she knew that they knew she was awake. She had hoped for a longer respite. The questions came at her, rolling over her ears, but she didn't really hear them. It didn't matter. She wasn't going to answer. She couldn't help smirking a little at their increasing frustration; that smugness earned her a slap that snapped her head to the side. Hands pulled at her, forcing her to a kneeling position where she supported her weight on her hands and knees. She knew what was coming and closed her eyes, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. She couldn't keep the scream from tearing out of her.

* * *

Hardison finally had a location after spending the past thirty-six hours searching without rest. Parker had passed out on the couch after they reached the thirty-hour mark, and though Eliot and Nate had floated in and out, they had stayed out of his way and in a self-imposed exile. A lot of guilt was being passed around with no absolution to ease the burden. He shook Parker awake.

"Hey, mama, do you think you can find Eliot?" he asked gently as she blinked and attempted to focus on his face.

She sat up. "Did you find her?"

"Yes."

She knocked the air out of him when she lunged into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Within a moment, she released him and left; he shook his head and set out to find Nate. It only took one guess to figure out where the older man had gone. Hardison found him downstairs at the bar, staring down a glass of scotch. Hardison put a hand on Nate's shoulder.

"Hey, Nate, we need you upstairs."

Nate didn't look away from the glass. "Did you find her?"

"Yeah. Come on, man. You're kind of freaking me out."

Nate got up with a groan and followed Hardison out of the bar and back up to his apartment. Hardison paused outside the door and turned back to face Nate.

"Have you been down there the whole time?"

"Yeah." Nate rubbed at his eyes and swayed on the spot.

"Maybe we should rest before we go rescue her."

"No." Nate's eyes were blazing, and he gripped the door knob in a white-knuckled fist. "Sophie is our first priority. As soon as we go over the plan, we head out."

"You're not in any shape to be able to pull off a rescue mission."

"That's not your call. Now, let's go. I need you to tell me where she is."

Hardison relented and let himself into the apartment, taking note of the fact that Eliot was now present and looked like he hadn't slept either. Parker was waiting for him on the couch, her taser in her hands. Hardison eyed it nervously before pulling up photos of the warehouse where Sophie was located, along with the building's schematics.

* * *

Parker and Nate waited as Eliot approached the warehouse, shadowing him by a few feet. He disappeared inside the building, and once the grunts and sounds of Eliot's fist smashing into someone's face reached their ears, they ran inside. Parker was the first to spot Sophie, attached to the wall near the back with a chain and handcuff combination. Nate fingered the gun he was carrying; he wasn't taking any chances in case one of the guards got past Eliot. However, Eliot seemed to be handling it, a storm of fury unleashed, and Nate wondered if some of them would ever get up again. He joined Parker at Sophie's side; Parker had already picked the lock and freed her.

Sophie groaned and opened her eyes. "Nate?"

He knelt beside her. "We're here to rescue you."

He picked her up with ease, and Parker whipped out her taser when a guard attempted to sneak up behind them. He went down, twitching as Parker let a sadistic smile spread across her face. Sophie curled into Nate's body as he took off at a run with Parker close behind.

"Eliot, let's go!" Nate ordered as he approached the entrance.

The couple of guards not already on the ground were backing away as Eliot grinned.

"I'm almost through here," Eliot replied.

Nate started to argue, but at the cold anger in Eliot's eyes, he decided to leave it alone. From the looks of it, Eliot would be with them in a few minutes anyway. Hardison was waiting with the van. Parker pulled open the back doors and scooted into the cool interior, kneeling at the top of the air mattress they had brought with them. Nate laid Sophie out on the mattress, wincing when she let out a whimper of pain.

Eliot appeared at the back and jumped inside. "We're clear. Let's go."

Hardison hit the gas pedal and peeled out of there. Eliot shoved Nate aside and reached out with a gentle hand to touch Sophie's cheek, pulling her attention in his direction.

"Hey," he said in a soft voice. "I need to check out your injuries. Figure out if you need a hospital."

"No hospital," she murmured. Her dark eyes were clouded over with pain. "I just want to go home."

Eliot didn't reply to that and moved to pull her tattered blouse up so he could examine her abdomen and rib cage. Nate couldn't keep from hissing at the sight of the dark bruises that mottled her skin. Eliot explored the area with ginger hands.

"You've got a broken rib, Sophie," he said. "And a few more are cracked."

Sophie shook her head. "No hospitals."

Eliot started to protest, but Nate intervened. "We're going to respect her wishes, just like we do for you. Is this anything you can't take care of?"

"No." Eliot started to say something else but bit it back. "I don't think so."

Parker had scooted forward until she had managed to get her knees on the top of the mattress so she could cradle Sophie's head in her lap. Eliot sighed and leaned against the wall of the van as Nate reached out for Sophie's hand. Her fingers curled into his, and she didn't let go of him until they reached his apartment.


	3. Repair

Eliot grabbed the first-aid kit from Nate's supply closet while Nate and Parker helped Sophie up to Nate's room. He had put the kit together after the team had re-formed; fishing through it, he pulled out a bottle of painkillers and shook a couple out into his hand. He didn't like pain medicine and avoided it whenever possible, but he kept it on hand in case anyone else on the team got hurt. He couldn't expect them to all have the same pain threshold as him.

He looked over his shoulder to see that Hardison had settled onto the couch with his laptop; Nate came down the stairs a few seconds later without Parker. Eliot assumed that meant Parker would be helping him bandage Sophie up; he was glad Nate wasn't insisting on helping. From the looks of the man, Nate was barely keeping it together, and Eliot hoped he wouldn't run down to the bar to find solace. He pulled out his phone and fired off a text message before heading up the stairs, bag in hand.

Parker looked up from where she had been smoothing Sophie's hair out of her face. "Did you bring the first-aid kit?"

He held up the bag. "Yeah. Are you helping?"

She nodded her head. He handed the pills off to her along with a bottle of water. Parker opened the bottle and pressed the pills into Sophie's mouth; she then tilted the bottle underneath Sophie's lips and waited as she drank enough to wash the medicine down.

"Thanks," Sophie whispered, grimacing as the words rubbed against her raw throat.

"I need to bandage her ribs up," Eliot said over his shoulder to Parker as he bent over the black bag.

Parker moved into action, pulling Sophie up against her body as gently as she could and removing her shirt; when the piece of clothing was gone, Parker let out a hiss of breath and refused to lay Sophie back down.

"Eliot," Parker said, the crack in her voice making him look up.

His eyes widened when he saw the welts on Sophie's back; in some places, the skin had broken and blood had scabbed over the wounds. Sophie whimpered as the cool air washed over her skin.

"Okay, keep her supported against you like that," he instructed.

Parker turned her attention to Sophie and began to regale her with tales of some of Parker's first crimes as Eliot moved in to tend to Sophie's back. He felt her tense under his hands, and she let out a strangled cry before burying her head into Parker's neck. He didn't let it bother him, focusing on his work. Parker kept talking; he could hear the tears in her voice, but he didn't say anything. It took him several minutes before he could return his attention to her ribs, and by that time, the medicine was coursing through her system, pulling some of the worst pain away. Jerking his head, Eliot motioned for Parker to lay Sophie back onto the pillows; Parker obeyed immediately.

When Eliot reached down to take off Sophie's pants, she let out a strangled, "No."

He paused, closing his eyes because that was confirmation of what he had feared. "Sophie, I need to see if there's anything wrong. I'm not going to hurt you."

Parker's eyes darted from Sophie to Eliot; she crawled up the bed in order to play with Sophie's hair, something she knew calmed her down. "Don't worry. He's just trying to help."

Sophie blinked, trying to think past the haze of the drugs; she nodded her head. "Okay."

He moved slowly, not wanting to spook her. He pulled back the trousers and let them fall to the side as he examined her legs. There were cigarette burns on her thighs, a few cuts, and welts that looked similar to the ones on her back. He didn't stop to let himself think because then he would fly into a rage and go back and kill all those men. He simply bandaged her up, his fingers soft and gentle against her abused skin. Parker stayed close to Sophie's ear, whispering more stories in an effort to be a distraction.

As he was finishing up, his phone vibrated in his pocket; he pulled it out and read the message. "Hey, Sophie, I have a doctor friend. He's helped me out a few times when I've taken a bad beating, and he's very discreet. I would like for him to check on you, make sure you're okay."

The drugs were too much for her to think around. "Why? I thought you were taking care of me?"

"Because you were raped, Sophie, and I'm not equipped to handle that," he said in a soft voice.

Based on the fact that Parker didn't react to that piece of news, Eliot assumed she had already figured it out; for her part, Sophie had closed her eyes because she was too tired to think about it and she didn't want to think about it. Apathy could be a beautiful thing sometimes. But, Eliot wasn't going away without her agreement.

"Fine," she murmured.

Eliot nodded his head and left to fetch the doctor from where he was waiting outside Nate's door. Nate opened his mouth to ask a question about the stranger, but Eliot shot a glare in his direction; he was not going to answer to anyone, and he wasn't going to share any of this with the others until he was sure Sophie was going to be okay.

"Okay, Ryan, thanks for coming on such short notice," he said as they climbed the stairs.

Ryan chuckled. "Well, the promise of a bonus was a nice incentive. Any words of preparation?"

"She's really beaten up."

"And the man responsible?"

"Taken care of."

Ryan nodded his head. "That's all I need to know. Do you want to come in?"

"Parker's in there with her. I'll wait here." Eliot sighed and nodded towards the door. "I've already given her some medicine for the pain, so she's not completely coherent."

"I'm not here to ask questions," Ryan responded. "I'm just here to help."

With that, he disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Eliot standing outside. Eliot rubbed at his eyes, suddenly exhausted, and he leaned against the wall, sliding down it until he hit the floor.

* * *

Hardison looked up when Nate sat down beside him on the couch. "Do you need something?"

Nate rubbed his chin, leaning forward and then attempting to relax back into the cushions. "Can you get the security camera footage from the warehouse?"

"Yeah." Hardison clicked around and pulled it up. "I was going to look through it, but…"

"Yeah," Nate agreed. "Play it back."

"What?" Hardison sputtered. "You want to watch those bastards actually beat her up like she's a piñata?"

"I want to make sure that we took down all of them," Nate replied firmly. "I don't want any of them walking away from this unpunished."

Hardison shook his head. "Okay. Here goes."

He pulled it up in a small window and started the playback from around the time the guards had taken her to the warehouse. It wasn't hard at first; it was obvious that they were asking her questions and she was refusing to answer. There wasn't any sound, so Hardison couldn't tell what questions they were asking. Her lack of cooperation earned her a few slaps and some punches in the stomach. He fast-forwarded a little until he saw there more figures in the picture. At that point, she had been there for four hours. The interrogation intensified, and Hardison flinched when they pulled out a cane and started to beat her back. She curled into herself and covered her head, but they didn't stop. He chanced a glance at Nate; he was staring at the screen with wide eyes, horrified and angry and unable to look away.

It continued on like that for several minutes and then they stopped. As one of the men moved forward, his hands at his belt, Hardison jerked away from the screen. He fumbled at the keyboard, but he couldn't remember how to shut it off as he watched them strip her clothes off. He finally slammed the laptop closed.

He turned to Nate. "Maybe we shouldn't finish watching this…"

His voice trailed off as he followed Nate's gaze to the wall of televisions where the security footage was still playing, laying out every second in its torturous glory. Hardison found the remote and managed to switch the screens off. He glanced back at Nate, his heart sinking a little at the look on the man's face. Nate looked so…broken, but there was a fury swirling right underneath that.

Nate stood on shaking legs and marched straight for his liquor cabinet, opening it and pulling out a bottle without even looking at it. He didn't bother with a glass. He had only managed a few swallows, though, before Hardison pulled the bottle away from him.

"Give it back," Nate demanded, but the command lost its effect because he was staring down at the counter, already defeated.

"Drinking isn't going to solve any of this," Hardison replied. "She needs you right now, and that means you need to be sober. Okay?"

Nate didn't answer, but he also didn't charge straight back to the cabinet, so Hardison marked that down as a small victory. He put the bottle away and headed back to his laptop. He needed to encrypt that file to keep anyone else from watching it. He would go through it later to make sure that every single son of bitch had been in that warehouse when they had gotten Sophie back. If not, well, he was sure Eliot would be more than happy to pay them a visit.


	4. Cry

**Just a few shout-outs before this chapter, since all of my reviewers are anonymous, I must respond to them here. :)**

**stvko **Thanks for the review. I'm glad you thought Eliot was in character. He's one that I write the least, so I tend to find him harder than the others.

**a friend** Um, not if Eliot gets there first. Of course, that will be covered later on because no way does anybody hurt a member of the team and get away with it. I'm glad you like that I'm not going into detail. I didn't really have that in me, and I didn't set out to write a story about the explicit details of Sophie's torture. I really wanted to focus on the aftermath.

**A Friend** Congratulations, you are the person solely responsible for this update coming now as opposed to later on tomorrow. I had half written before I got back to my room, and after getting your review, I decided to sit down and finish it.

**Remember, I do love reviews. And, as illustrated above, they do result in faster updates. **

* * *

Nate walked up the staircase to his bedroom; the doctor Eliot had brought in had left about an hour ago, and Eliot had disappeared soon after. Nate suspected that he had gone out to hit something; he hadn't pressed too much. He opened the door and peered inside. Parker was curled up on the far side of the bed, her body curved towards Sophie but not touching her. They had gotten rid of Sophie's old clothes, and she was now dressed in an old dress shirt of his and a loose pair of shorts. She looked like she was sleeping.

Parker sat up as he walked inside, and she scooted to the edge of the bed. "She's asleep right now."

"I gathered that." Nate sighed and tugged at a wrinkle in the bedspread. "Why don't you go get some rest?"

Parker shook her head. "She needs someone to stay with her in case she wakes up."

"I'll be here," Nate replied. When she didn't move, he motioned for her to move over and sank down beside her. "Look, none of us have gotten much sleep, but we all need to take care of ourselves if we're going to be able to help her. I have a spare bedroom you can take."

"How long can I stay there?"

"As long as you want."

She tilted her head to the side, considering his offer, and then she stood up. "Okay. But, let me know when she wakes up. I need to wash her hair."

Nate almost laughed. "Is that really important?"

"It is to her." Parker started for the door and turned back. "The pills are on the bedside table. She took one dose two hours ago. She'll need another one soon."

"I can do that." Nate offered her a strained smile. "I promise, I'll come find you."

Parker nodded her head and left, closing the door behind her. Nate let out a long sigh and looked over his shoulder at Sophie. Her jaw was swelling up from where she had taken too many hits; he would have to get some ice for that later. He unbuttoned his shirt, shrugging it off until he was left in his undershirt, pants, and socks. He eased his way up the bed and settled down beside her, reaching out to stroke some of her hair away from her face.

He woke up exactly two hours later to Sophie's stirring beside him. He rolled off the bed and launched himself towards the pain pills on the table.

"Nate?" She tried to sit up but fell back with a whimper.

He shook his head and eased onto the bed beside her. "Hey, maybe that's not the best idea. I've got some more medicine for you."

She blinked and shook her head weakly. "They make me sleep too much."

"Sleep is good for you right now." He shook out two pills and held them out to her with the opened bottle of water. "Come on, Soph. You've got to be in pain."

"That's true." She swallowed the pills. "Where is everyone?"

"I hope they're getting some sleep. We've all been running on caffeine and adrenaline for longer than normal."

"But you don't know?"

He groaned and moved back to the other side of the bed. "You're the priority right now. They're all adults. They can take care of themselves."

"I'm an adult."

"Yes, but you're also hurt." He relaxed back onto the mattress and shifted so that he could pull the sheets over his body. "Which is why I'm here. I'm supposed to wake Parker up."

"Why?" Her eyes fluttered closed, but she forced them back open; the medicine was either really strong or was just working very fast because she hadn't eaten anything in over a day.

"She said she was going to wash your hair." He shrugged. "I thought it could wait until she was a little more rested."

The laughter bubbled out of Sophie's mouth before she could stop it, and he stared at her, a little incredulous, as she hiccupped her way through one laugh after another, tears falling down her cheeks as the pain and mirth mixed together. Soon, the laughing was gone, though, and the tears still dripped out of her eyes. He edged closer to her, reaching out to place a hesitant hand on her arm. She flinched but didn't move away.

"Soph?" He tried to look her in the eyes, but she turned her head to the side. "Are you okay?"

"What the bloody hell do you think, Nate?" she forced out even as she sobbed. "I...I just...oh, God, Nate."

She collapsed against the pillows, her hand flinging out blindly to clutch at his arm in a death grip; she was choking even as she tried to negotiate the crying and breathing, and he realized that she was well on her way to a panic attack. He moved closer, lifting her a little into his arms so that he could cradle her head against his chest.

"Come on, Soph," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her head. "Breathe. In and out. Slow, deep breaths."

She was still clinging to him, but she focused on his calming voice and the rise and fall of his chest as he mimicked the breathing pattern he was describing. She could feel herself sinking again the welcome oblivion the medicine brought with it. She shut her eyes and turned her face inwards towards his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of cologne and alcohol and sweat. With a sigh, she let go; he felt her slip into sleep again and arranged her back against the pillows.

He waited for a little while to make sure she was actually sleeping before he headed to the bathroom to get a wet bathcloth. When he came back, he used the cloth to wipe away the salty tracks of her tears, wincing even as he ran the cool fabric over the bruises. He finished and laid the bathcloth to the side, sinking back into the bed to catch a few more hours of sleep before she woke up again.

* * *

Hardison flinched when Eliot slammed the door to Nate's apartment closed. Eliot walked over to the couch, and Hardison looked up at him, grimacing when he saw the sweat drying on Eliot's clothes.

"You couldn't shower first, man?" Hardison asked as he hunched over his laptop.

"Came to see if you had checked through the rest of the footage," Eliot replied. When Hardison didn't answer, he rolled his eyes. "Well, have you?"

"Hmm, I'm sorry, can you repeat that? Because I certainly didn't hear a 'please' in that last sentence."

"Hardison..."

"Fine, fine." Hardison typed for a little bit and nodded towards three pictures that came up on the television screens. "Those guys were involved, but they weren't there when we got Sophie back. Carlisle wasn't there, either."

"I already knew that." Eliot wandered over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "You got any addresses or something?"

"You know, when will you people ever learn that I don't just pull names out of my ass?" Hardison shook his head and lounged back into the couch. "Of course I have addresses for them. I also have social security numbers, credit card numbers, details of everything they do on the Internet... Whatever you could want to take them down, I've got it."

Eliot mopped the residual sweat from his forehead with a towel. "Has Nate said anything to you about taking down the rest of these guys?"

"I haven't seen him since he went up to his room. He's been with Sophie for the past, um, five hours."

"Where's Parker?"

"Sleeping in the spare bedroom. Either that, or she's back with Sophie. The only reason she even left the room is because Nate pretty much kicked her out."

"Oh, okay." Eliot paused, curling his hand into a fist and looking around the room. He forced himself to relax. "Well, I'm going to make some supper. We all need to eat something, and Sophie needs to get some food into her system."

"I'll be right here if you need me."

"I won't."

"You might."

"Don't count on it."

* * *

Sophie woke up to find Parker staring down at her. She just blinked at the sight, having gotten used to such unusual wake-up calls a long time ago.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked as she rolled her head to the side in an attempt to get a glimpse at the clock; it hurt too much to move more than was absolutely necessary.

"Six hours." Parker leaned over to the side and shifted the clock so Sophie could see the display. "Nate left an hour ago because Eliot made food. He has something for you. Says you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Her stomach almost turned over at the thought of food.

Parker shrugged. "I wouldn't argue with him. He's been really quiet. And scary. I don't like it."

"Nate mentioned earlier that you wanted to wash my hair for me." Sophie attempted a smile and winced at the movement of her lips. She settled for a look that she hoped was a little reassuring. "I would really like a bath, too, if you wouldn't mind."

"I would have to ask Eliot," Parker replied softly. She smirked and flung herself off the bed towards the door, leaning out to shout down the stairs, "Hey, Eliot, can Sophie have a bath?"

Eliot groaned and slammed a pot down onto the counter. "Just don't get her bandages wet!"

Parker turned from the door and grinned. "He said that it's fine."

Parker walked around the bed, her eyes on Sophie the entire time. She tilted her head to the side, nodded her head, and walked promptly into the bathroom. Sophie waited. She could hear Parker turn the water on and off a few times, possibly filling a bowl or something. Parker eventually trotted back into the room bearing a large bowl, two washcloths, a bar of soap, a bottle of shampoo, and two fluffy towels.

She moved to the head of the bed and set the bowl down on the table. "Okay, it'll probably be easiest if I get the table close enough to the bed that you lay down and sort-of lean over it."

She helped Sophie manoeuvre into position; luckily, the table was lower than the bed, so it meant that she didn't really have to hover over the bowl. Parker wrapped a towel around Sophie's shoulders and proceeded to dip Sophie's dark hair into the water, using her hands to move the liquid through the thick curls. Sophie focused on keeping perfectly still and not thinking about the fact that her back and chest were burning. Parker's fingers massaged the shampoo into her scalp and then washed the soap away. Holding Sophie's hair above the water, she squeezed out the excess liquid and took the towel from her shoulders to wrap around her hair.

"Okay, now, back onto the bed," Parker told her even as she guided Sophie into a sitting position and then back against the pillows.

She marched out again and dumped the water into the bathtub, running a combination of cold and hot water back into the bowl. Her hands trembled, and she leaned over the cool marble, closing her eyes against the tears that were stinging there. She took two deep breaths, and satisfied that she was once again in control, she turned off the water and took the bowl back into the bedroom. She pulled the towel from around Sophie's hair and combed out the tangles with the comb she had grabbed from Nate's dresser.

Once she was finished with that, she slipped Sophie's shirt over her head, careful to avoid touching any of her bandaged wounds. She did the same with the shorts. Sophie watched Parker as the lithe girl dipped the washcloth into the warm water and lathered it up with soap. This was why she had asked Parker and not any of the others. It wasn't because all the rest of them were men. It was just that it would bother Hardison to see Sophie so exposed; Eliot would be willing to bathe her, but he was so much of a gentleman that, outside of caring for her when she was hurt, he wouldn't be able to keep from feeling like he was taking advantage of her; and, with Nate, he would look at her and want her, and proceed to feel guilty about desiring her when she was hurt.

Parker, on the other hand, simply worked. She didn't take the time to examine any feature of Sophie, simply running the washcloth along her battered skin, so careful not to touch any of the bandages. She didn't attempt to say anything, and for that, Sophie was grateful. She wasn't much for conversation at the moment, not when everything was crowding on in her head and the pain was pulsing back through her very bones.

When Parker was finished, she helped Sophie into a clean shirt and pair of shorts. She disposed of the towels and washcloths and the water. Then, she left. She slipped out of Nate's apartment and took the stairs to the roof two at a time. When she was outside in the cold air, she wrapped her arms around her middle and wandered over to the edge. She hoisted herself over it and perched there, waiting. Tears fell down her cheeks.

It only took him two minutes to find her. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and she swiped at her running nose in anger. Anger at the fact that she was crying when she wasn't the one who was hurt.

"I know I'm being stupid," she whispered.

Hardison shook his head and wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders. "No, mama, you're not. It's okay. I'm right here."

She didn't turn around and collapse into his arms. But, she did reach her hand up and lace her fingers through his.


	5. Stay

**You guys are amazing. Seriously, I can't believe I've updated this so fast again.**

**a friend- **I love playing with a vulnerable Parker. She's always a little hard to get down, especially with emotions. Thanks for the review, and the extra one asking for an update. It's always encouraging to know people are out there actually looking forward to a new chapter.

**fdsa- **Again, I'm glad you feel that I got Parker down. I agonized over how to handle her because she's normally so closed off. But, at the same time, she's now very attached to Sophie, and so I felt an emotional break would be justified. Thanks for the review.

**DG- **Congrats, your plea worked. I was in the middle of reading something and working on a new chapter for _Dog Days Are Over_. I wasn't going to write anymore tonight. Then, I got your review and was inspired. Thanks for the review.

* * *

Sophie eyed the soup in front of her with distaste. "I thought I said I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat," Eliot replied with a look that almost made the argument die on her lips. "It's not healthy to take that kind of pain medicine and not eat. Besides, you haven't eaten in nearly two days. If you want to get better, you need some sort of stable diet."

She frowned and poked at it with her spoon before taking a small taste. It was chicken soup, and the rich flavors of the broth washed over her tongue; she swallowed back the bile that rose up her throat and forced herself to take a little bit of a larger bite. Eliot crossed his arms over his chest and watched as she struggled to keep eating. A few minutes later, she shook her head and sat back.

"I can't eat anymore," she said quietly, expecting him to berate her.

He took the tray from the bed. "Okay."

"Nothing to say about how I need to eat more?"

"You made an attempt. Forcing you to eat more will probably make you sick." He placed the tray on the bedside table and sat down beside her on the mattress. "You know, you don't have to pretend you're okay."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"We all know what happened. Hell, Nate and Hardison _saw_ some of it when they were looking through the footage from the warehouse. You don't have to be so damn strong about it."

"Are you criticizing how I'm coping?"

"I'm saying that I get that you're used to acting and stuff. But, you don't have to pretend with us. If you want to cry or talk or anything, you need to do it. You can't keep this all bottled up inside. It'll end up destroying you."

She narrowed her eyes and snapped, "I'm fine. What happened, happened. I'll deal with it the way I want to."

He reached out to touch her arm, and she almost flinched away. She stopped herself, but he withdrew.

"See, that's what I'm talking about." He gestured at her stiffened posture and sighed. "Sophie, you need to be honest about how you're feeling. Even if that means you don't feel comfortable with being touched. Even if it means breaking down. Even if it means that you need to, I don't know, scream and throw things at me. Whatever."

"I don't want to be a burden." She sniffled and tried to hide the fact that she was on the verge of tears. "Damn it."

"Hey, we want to do this for you." He tried to smile. "Parker washed your hair for you and gave you a bath. I think that's a pretty big deal for her."

"What about Nate?"

"What about him?"

"Do you think he'll understand that it's not him that I'm afraid of?" The tears were falling rapidly down her cheeks. "I don't want to hurt him."

"Honestly, honey, I think he'll get it. And if he doesn't, I'll beat some sense into him." He reached out and offered his hand to her to hold. "You know, I'm not really good at this."

"You're doing fine." She smiled at him with trembling lips. "Do you think you can stay here until I fall asleep?"

"I'll do anything you need," he said quietly.

He grabbed the pill bottle and shook out two; offering them to her, he waited until she swallowed them down and relaxed into the wall of pillows Parker had established for her. He stroked the back of her hand and hummed a soft tune as he watched her eyes flutter closed and the rise and fall of her chest as her breathing evened out. He stayed there for a little while longer than he needed. When he finally left, he leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before leaving.

Nate was waiting on him outside the door. Eliot closed the bedroom door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Need something?" Eliot asked.

Nate shifted his feet and glanced down at the floor before looking back up at Eliot. "I was going to stay with her while she slept. So, you know, she doesn't wake up alone or anything."

Eliot eyed him. "Why not send Parker?"

"She's busy planning out revenge with Hardison. Besides, she's a little too hyper to sit still that long."

"I'm sure she would do it for Sophie."

"Any of us would." Nate glared at him in irritation. "Are you trying to keep me away from her?"

Eliot shrugged. "Not really. I just don't know if you're the best thing for her right now."

"What are you talking about?" Nate was definitely getting angry now.

"She was raped." Eliot's voice had gone hard, and even though he was shorter than Nate, his glare was making the older man contemplate backing down. "Waking up to any man beside her probably isn't going to help her mental state. It's nothing personal, Nate."

Nate sighed. "Look, I get what you're trying to say. But, she's been fine with me. If she wasn't, I would leave her alone. I just don't want to leave her alone."

Eliot nodded his head and moved to the side. "Fine. But, one sign from her that she doesn't want you there, you leave. If not, well…"

He didn't have to finish that sentence for Nate to understand. After Nate had disappeared into the bedroom, Eliot headed down the staircase to find Hardison and Parker huddled at the long table set up in front of the wall of televisions.

"I heard you two were planning something."

Hardison looked up and grinned. "We were waiting on you. Come on, it's going to be a great plan. You'll like it."

"You get to bust heads!" Parker chimed in with a wide grin that was a little disturbing.

Eliot gave her a smile that sent a shiver down Hardison's spine; he was quickly reminded why it was best to stay on Eliot's good side.

Eliot turned to Hardison. "Well? Are you going to share your genius plan or not?"

* * *

Sophie gritted her teeth when she shifted and a ripple of pain rushed through her torso. Eliot had changed her bandages earlier that day, and even though he had proclaimed that she was starting to heal up, she didn't feel like it. The burns on her legs had almost disappeared, so she supposed that was at least one small thing. She attempted to focus back on the book in her hands, but she found she couldn't stop thinking.

A knock on the doorway made her look up. She smiled at the sight of Parker.

"This is a first," Sophie said as she put her book to the side.

Parker wrinkled her forehead and crossed over to the bed. "I've been visiting you every day. More than once."

"I was talking about the knocking." Sophie couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

Parker shrugged. "Eliot said I shouldn't sneak up on you."

Sophie just nodded her head and patted the other side of the bed. Parker crawled up beside her, immediately curling up close but not enough to rub against Sophie's body.

"What have you been doing downstairs?" Sophie asked as Parker reached up to play with a few locks of her dark brown hair.

"Planning how to go about destroying Carlisle."

Sophie couldn't help the shudder that rushed through her at the mention of the name; Parker stiffened, certain she had said something wrong, but a moment later, Sophie was smiling at her again. Parker let out a small breath.

"Eliot's favorite plan just involves beating him into a pulp." Parker hummed under her breath and shook her head. "But, I'm not supposed to talk about that. What are you reading?"

Sophie almost laughed at Parker's attempt to redirect the conversation. "_Harry Potter_. Have you ever read any of the books?"

Parker shook her head. "I thought they were for kids."

"For the most part. I find them entertaining."

Parker grabbed the heavy book and looked at the cover before tossing it back to the bedspread. "I don't really read all that much."

"You're missing out," Sophie said teasingly.

"Well, then, why don't you read it to me?"

Sophie raised her eyebrows; she hadn't been expecting that. "What?"

"You like reading. I don't really like it, but I like stories. You need a distraction. Why not?"

She would have been hard-pressed to come up with a good argument for Parker's logic, if only because Parker could contest the point for hours with reasons that would become progressively stranger. And, in a way, it would be nice if she could keep Parker entertained and therefore with her for longer than thirty minutes. She didn't like spending so much time alone while the others were busy.

"Okay. It's a good thing that I'm in the middle of the first one."

Parker relaxed back into the pillows beside her and grabbed the book. "I'll hold it and turn the pages."

So, Sophie scooted closer to Parker and leaned her head on the girl's shoulder. Parker patted the top of Sophie's head and opened the book to the first page. And, Sophie started to read to Parker about a world far away, where magic existed and life was tinged with wonder. They both pretended that Sophie didn't start crying halfway through the first chapter; and later, when Sophie had fallen asleep after making it through five chapters, Parker didn't move. She just stayed there on the bed and closed her eyes and listened to Sophie's soft breathing.


	6. Panic

**I'm sorry that I haven't updated sooner, but I've been busy with a project for a class and other things. However, because this story won't leave me alone (I started writing this chapter in the middle of my accounting class today), here is a brand new update. :) **

**a friend- **I'm glad you think my Eliot is doing okay. He keeps insisting on being included even though I feel like he's one of my weakest characters. I have a little bit of an easier time with Parker since she's a female. And, thank you for sending me a review asking for an update. Asking for something nicely is not whining. It makes me happy that you like this story enough to ask.

**dg- **You know, I don't really think of Sophie and Parker's relationship as a mother-daughter one. Certainly, Sophie acts as the "mother" of the entire group, but when you break it down, she's more like an older sister for Parker and Hardison and an equal/best friend for Eliot. I adore writing Parker and Sophie together as just friends simply because their relationship is so different and beautiful without being sexual. This story is helping me with writing Parker. It's getting easier with practice. And, I'm glad Sophie's your favorite. She's mine, too (and only part of that has to do with the fact that Gina Bellman is ten different kinds of amazing.)

**stvko-** You can play the "please review" card another time since it didn't work out. I really, really wanted to update after getting your review, but I just didn't have the time. I'm glad you're still reading.

**So, hopefully, there won't be as long a wait for the next chapter. I'm not making any promises because I do have other stories out there that can't be neglected. Don't forget that reviews are love. And, if you haven't already done so, check out The First Annual Leverage Fanfiction Awards and send in some nominations. **

* * *

Nate woke up to a fist in his face. He rolled to the side as a hand collided with his arm. Rubbing his eyes, he cursed under his breath at the sight of Sophie writhing on her side of the bed, her eyes clenched shut as she shook her head and whimpered, her legs and arms swinging wildly in the air against an invisible foe. He crept around the bed and ducked underneath an flung-out arm in order to grasp her by the shoulders and hold her still.

"Sophie!" He pushed her back into the bed and gave her a gentle shake. "Come on, Soph, wake up."

Her eyes flew open, and as he was breathing a sigh of relief, she screamed. He reached up to cup her cheek, but she tried to wrench away from him.

"Stop it, please! Please, don't hurt me." She tried to move out from underneath him and rolled a little onto her side. She cried out in pain.

"Sophie, you're okay. It's just me."

She kept struggling against him, tears streaming down her cheeks. A moment later, Nate found himself flung across the room. His back hit the wall, and he steadied himself against it. Eliot stood between Nate and the bed; Parker slipped through the door and crawled onto the bed beside Sophie, crouching near her head and stroking her hair with a tentative hand. Hardison waited in the doorway, watching.

Parker leaned closer to Sophie and murmured, "You're safe. It was just a bad dream. I'm right here. You're safe now."

Parker continued with that refrain, her hand wrapped tightly around Sophie's fingers, until Sophie turned her head towards Parker and collapsed into sobs. Parker cradled Sophie against her chest and smoothed out her dark brown hair. Nate breathed out a sigh and started towards the bed.

Eliot got in his path. "Get out, Nate."

Nate stopped and gestured towards Sophie. "But…I…"

"Get out," Eliot repeated, his voice sinking into a gravelly whisper.

Nate tightened his hands into fists; he looked again at Sophie, who was still clinging to Parker and weeping. He bowed his head and left the room in a swift stride, pushing Hardison out of his way.

"Should I go after him?" Hardison asked.

Eliot almost affirmed that question, but when he looked at Hardison and saw that the man couldn't tear his eyes away from Sophie, a mixture of horror and heartbreak on his face, he shook his head.

"No. Stay here with the girls in case Sophie needs something."

Eliot headed out of the room and down the stairs. He had a good idea about where Nate would have gone, and when he reached the bar, he growled. Nate was seated on a stool at the bar, a bottle of opened whiskey in front of him. Nate poured a fresh measure into his glass and gulped it down. He repeated the action before Eliot snatched the bottle away.

"We talked about this, Nate." Eliot sank onto the nearest stool with a groan.

Nate rubbed at his face and let out a bitter laugh. "Here to give me a lecture, Eliot?"

Eliot shook his head. "No. Just to tell you that you can't spend so much time alone with Sophie for awhile."

"So, orders, then?" Nate lifted his head to glare at Eliot. "I didn't hurt her."

"Maybe not. But, the problem is, she had a pretty violent reaction to waking up beside you. So, for the time being, you need to back off. It's what she needs."

"She hasn't asked me to go away."

Eliot clenched his hand into a fist then released it. "She's not going to. She's afraid of hurting your feelings."

Nate scowled at him. "How do you know?"

"Because she told me." Eliot saw Nate's fall and sighed. "Listen, it's not you. It's the same thing for me and Hardison, too. She needs to deal with what happened. Let her do that."

"I just want to help." Nate reached for the whiskey, and Eliot didn't stop him.

Eliot watched Nate pour some more whiskey into his glass. "I know. Move Parker into your bedroom and take the spare one for a little while. Sophie will ask for you when she's ready."

"Yeah, right." Nate swallowed the whiskey with a grimace and offered the bottle to Eliot.

Eliot got up and started for the door. "Don't stay down here too long."

Nate just shrugged and turned back to the bottle. Eliot shook his head and left.

* * *

Sophie poked at the food Eliot had brought up to her half an hour earlier. For once, he hadn't stayed to babysit; she had only eaten three bites. Parker slipped into the room and sat on the bed.

"You're not eating." Parker tilted her head to the side and looked at Sophie.

Sophie shrugged. "I'm not hungry."

"You're never hungry. But, Eliot says you have to eat."

"Eliot can sod off."

Parker drew her eyebrows together and frowned. "You do need to take care of yourself. We're counting on you to get better."

"I'm working on it," Sophie protested. "It's just, that every time I try to eat, I feel sick."

"Maybe that's because you're really hungry from not eating."

"Or maybe I just don't want any food." Sophie shoved the tray to one side; Parker's hand shot out to steady it.

"Eliot said that you might be able to get out of bed tomorrow." Parker had a hopeful smile on her face. "Are you excited?"

"Thrilled," Sophie murmured. She sank back against the pillows and huffed. "I hate being treated like an invalid."

"You are an invalid." Parker tore off a piece of the roll on the plate and stuffed it into her mouth. "But, you're getting better."

"But you're all still treating me like I could break at any second."

"You look like you will."

Sophie narrowed her eyes and looked towards Nate's window, straining to see out of it. "I haven't seen anything out of this damn room for almost two weeks."

Parker followed Sophie's line of sight and immediately shook her head. "No. No way. Eliot said you have to stay in bed."

"Parker, you love breaking the rules." Sophie's eyes sparkled. "I just want some fresh air."

"But, Eliot said…"

"When did you start letting Eliot push you around?"

Parker snapped her mouth closed and ducked her head as she tightened her jaw. She worried at her bottom lip before shaking her head.

"We're going to get in so much trouble if we get caught," Parker finally said as she clambered off the bed and wrapped Sophie's arm over her shoulder.

Sophie smirked. "I thought you never got caught."

Parker just motioned for Sophie to swing her legs off the bed and put her weight onto Parker's shoulders. Parker let out a grunt and readjusted her hands so she could keep Sophie steady. They shuffled their way towards the window. Sophie fought past the strain, refusing to let any noise escape her lips in fear that Parker would simply make her get back into bed. When they reached the window, Parker flipped the latch open with a free hand and helped Sophie position her body so she could support herself against the wall.

The breeze whispered inside, carrying the hint of a future rainstorm. "Mmm, I love the smell of rain."

"You can't smell water," Parker said, perching on the windowsill and keeping her eyes trained on Sophie.

Sophie closed her eyes and sighed. "It's a feeling, Parker."

After a few minutes, Sophie could feel her legs weakening, and she motioned for Parker to help her. Parker was off the sill in a second and pulled Sophie back up against her body. As they were adjusting for the journey back to the bed, Sophie's feet tangled up in Parker's, tripping the thief up. Parker fell towards the ground, clipping Sophie's shoulder on her way down. Sophie couldn't fight the forward momentum and fell with a thud.

Parker scrambled up from the floor and crouched beside Sophie. "Hey, are you okay?"

Sophie took a calming breath and winced at the sharp pain. "I don't think so. Help me up."

Parker grasped her by the shoulders and tried to ease her into an upright position. Sophie bit back a cry and collapsed back. Parker shook her head.

"You've probably hurt your ribs again or something." She stood up. "I'm going to get Eliot."

"No, don't, he'll yell at you." Sophie dug her teeth into her bottom lip. "Go find Nate."

Parker hesitated. "Eliot has to look at your ribs, make sure you're okay."

"Nate can do that. He's done it for Eliot." Sophie sighed. "Please, Parker."

Parker grumbled something under her breath, but she got to her feet and left the room. A few minutes later, Nate walked in and knelt down beside her.

"Parker told me that you fell down." He had a bemused smile on his face. "Want to explain how that happened?"

"I may have convinced her to help me out of bed to the window."

"What were you planning on doing? Climbing down the side of the building?"

She laughed a little and then winced in pain. "Okay, yeah, not a good idea. Help me up?"

Nate reached down and scooped her up into his arms, frowning when he realized how light she was. He placed her back on the bed and sat down beside her.

"I'm going to have to check your ribs," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not as good as Eliot, but I get the job done."

"Why do I feel like I've heard this before?" she asked with a teasing smile.

He ignored her and pushed her shirt up until it rested beneath her breasts. He unwrapped the bandage and felt along her ribcage with gentle fingers; she still hissed at the touch. He gave her an apologetic smile and produced a roll of bandages and tape.

"I think if I wrap you up again, you'll be fine." He worked as he talked; her eyes were trained on his hands. "Of course, with this little stunt, you might have pushed your recovery back another week. Very unfortunate."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to die of boredom."

"You should have thought of that before you decided to get up before you were ready." He finished wrapping the bandage around her abdomen and taped it into place. "Okay, I think that should do it."

She took a careful breath and let it out. "Yeah, thanks."

He reached over for the pill bottle and offered it to her. "Here, you'll need it after that fall."

She shook out two pills and tossed them back, chasing them with a few sips of water. She motioned for him to crawl up beside her and relax against the pillows. He obeyed reluctantly. She attempted to snuggle into him but stopped.

"You've been drinking." She looked up at him with an accusing glare.

He shrugged. "Yeah, a little bit. I'm not drunk."

"Only because you've developed an insanely high tolerance for alcohol. Nate, you can't do this to yourself."

"I'm not doing anything."

She frowned and shook her head. "Yes, you are. You can't blame yourself for what's happened. It wasn't your fault."

"You know what? I do blame myself. Because it was my plan that didn't work out." She tried to protest, but he continued on. "And, I blame Hardison a little bit, too, because he was the one who accidentally tipped off Carlisle. And I blame Eliot because he didn't get there fast enough. But, it doesn't matter. I still have to see you and know there's nothing I can do to…to make things okay."

He lapsed into silence, and she took the opportunity to grab his hand, lacing her fingers through his. He stared at her; she tilted her head up and brushed her lips against his, a soft chaste pressure that was there then gone. He started to say something but stopped. She yawned.

She relaxed back into the pillows, her grip on his hand pulling him closer. "Stay with me for a little while."

"Okay," he whispered.

"Please don't leave." He barely heard the words leave her lips even as she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Fracture

**I've had part of this on my computer for a couple of days. I'm almost done with school, but at the end of next week, I'm leaving for two and a half weeks to backpack across Europe. So, I won't be updating at all. I'll try to get another update in before I leave, but I'm just giving all of you a heads up. However, after that, I'll be home for the summer, so I'll have plenty of time to update and stuff. Now, onto to replies to anonymous reviews:**

**a friend**- It's hard enough to get one chapter done, so there won't be two at one time. Sorry. I have too much on my plate right now. However, I was incredibly flattered that you left two reviews. It made my day. I don't know what happened last chapter. There was supposed to be more angst, but it didn't all fit in. It fit on better at the beginning of this chapter. And, in response to your question in your review for "The First Annual Leverage Fanfiction Awards," yes, I can be nominated.

**dg**- It makes me so happy that you get this excited for updates. I understood what you meant by the mother/daughter dynamic, but I felt like taking an opportunity to express my opinion on the Parker/Sophie relationship. I get what you're saying. Sophie and Parker have a refreshingly unique dynamic because they're two women who actually get along and like each other, which is rare to find on television.

**ally-** I'm glad that no one is appearing OOC. Writing a story like this makes me nervous because it's hard to keep that balance between normalcy and recognizing that there's this huge problem that is affecting everyone.

**So, I am a little nervous about this chapter. Hardison has turned into my weakest character, and while I can do him all day with Eliot and Parker, working him into scenes with Sophie or Nate makes me a little uneasy. If there is something off about him, please say something. I am not above re-writing. Also, if you haven't already done so, send in some nominations for "The First Annual Leverage Fanfiction Awards." And, if you've only sent in a few nominations, feel free to submit more. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and don't forget that reviews make my day ten times better.**

* * *

Sophie woke up alone later in the night. Disoriented, she reached out for Nate, but her hand met only with empty air. The panic rose in her chest; she fought it back and grabbed the bottle of pain medication. Two swallows later, she drifted off into a hazy dreamworld, half nightmare, half peace.

It became a regular thing after that. Either Nate or Parker would be there when she fell asleep, and they left sometime in the middle of the night. She knew Nate was seeking refuge with a bottle; she didn't know where Parker went, and she didn't ask. She didn't like being on her own in the dark, but she would never tell any of them. So, they were unaware of the nightmares that choked her throat, left her so paralyzed that she couldn't even call for help. Those visions danced across her eyes until she would find herself over the toilet, vomiting what little food she had managed to force down. Her ribs ached and the healing skin on her back pulled tight as she hunched over the porcelain rim and retched; sitting back, she wiped her mouth clean with a damp cloth and pushed back the tears.

The lights were off. She stumbled her way back to the bed and sank onto it. Eliot had promised her a limited amount of freedom from her soft prison since she had finally started to heal enough that moving around wouldn't cause her further injury. She should be happy about that, and part of her was. A bigger part wanted to stay in Nate's room for a little longer. At least she got a small reprieve from watching Nate drink himself into a stupor or knowing that Eliot was watching her and waiting for a sign that she was breaking apart. She was glad that he couldn't see her then, curling in on herself and holding back the sobs threatening to tear from her mouth.

Maybe she would ask Parker to stay with her the entire night; the girl had managed to keep most of her secrets like how Sophie really wasn't eating enough. A shadow fell over the doorway that was illuminated from behind. Sophie squinted and waited.

"Hey." Hardison stepped inside, holding a bottle of water and a package of crackers. "I, um, I heard you getting sick, and thought you might like something…"

She reached out for the water. "Thank you. What are you still doing here?"

"Putting the final touches on the plan to take Carlisle down for good. I have to lay down a rock-solid trail for the cops." He handed the water off to her and opened the crackers. "You should try to eat something. Parker said you never finish any of your food."

"That was supposed to be a secret."

"I help her get rid of whatever you don't eat." He shrugged as she looked at him. "Parker seemed to think that you need some space. I'm not going to argue."

He held the crackers out to her, and she took one, nibbling at it. The small bite stuck in her throat, and she almost choked. She gulped down some more water and shook her head.

"So, what exactly is the plan?"

"We're not supposed to talk about that around you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

"Nate." He could tell the second he said it that he shouldn't have, but he had thought that keeping it a secret from her was stupid. She deserved to know what was going on.

"Son of a bitch." She dropped what was left of the cracker to the floor. "Well, he doesn't always get the last word. Spill."

He sat down beside her on the bed and dumped the crackers into her lap. "Eat." He waited until she picked up another before he said, "We're going to try something similar to what we started with, but a little different. Instead of taking the money, we're going to convince him to invest in a child prostitution ring and buy a few for himself."

"He's not into anything like that, though." She wrinkled her nose and took a small bite out of her cracker. "Or does that not matter?"

"Not really. We just need the money to change hands, and the cops will arrest him. With the links we're establishing between him and several child prostitution rings, he'll end up with a ton of charges that will label him as a 'baby-raper' in prison. After that, well, the rest of the prisoners will take care of him."

"You're keeping our hands clean."

"For the most part. It was Nate's idea. The only other plan we had at the time was setting Eliot loose on him, but we all agreed this would be more satisfying." He leaned over and nudged her shoulder.

"Who's going to do the grifting? He knows mine and Eliot's faces, and Parker won't be able to pull this off." She sipped at the water while she thought. "No, Nate wouldn't do something like that without telling me. Would he?"

"Hey, I don't do that freaky mind connection thing the two of you have going on. You're going to have to explain what's going on in your head."

"He's called Tara in, hasn't he?"

"Um, yeah. You pissed about that?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I just wish someone had told me. Of course, I should know by now that no one is telling me anything."

"They're trying to do what they think is best." He took a cracker from the package and crunched on it.

She watched him for a few moments and said, "You know, I don't blame you for anything that happened."

"What do you mean?" He tried to sound nonchalant, but the fact that he crumbled the rest of his cracker into dust made that a moot point.

"I've…noticed that you've been avoiding me. We've never been particularly close, but I haven't seen you for the past three weeks. What happened is not your fault, Hardison."

"I was the one who blew the con." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "If I had done my job or…"

"No, stop it," she snapped. When he frowned at her, she just raised an eyebrow. "Things go wrong all the time. We were just incredibly unlucky this time around. We could all blame ourselves for something that went wrong that day, but it still happened. Your guilt isn't going to change anything."

"I'm the one who's responsible for the tech part of the job, and that's the part where I fucked things up. I got caught."

"And? You tried to fix things and help me get out of there." She tucked two fingers under his chin and guided his face up so she could look him in the eyes. "I need you to understand that while you might feel responsible, I don't believe you are. The rest is up to you."

He managed a small smile. "Okay."

"Good. I'm glad we have that settled. I think I should probably get some sleep." She watched him stand up and walk towards the door. "Don't avoid me anymore, okay?"

He nodded his head. "Okay. Get some sleep, Sophie. Let me know if you need me."

"You'll still be awake?"

"These are my prime working hours. Of course I'll still be awake." He gave her a small wave and left the room.

Parker was curled up in a chair at the high table in front of the television screens when he made it down the stairs.

"She had another nightmare, didn't she?"

"She also got sick." He collapsed into a chair beside her. "Did we wake you up?"

Parker's forehead wrinkled as she traced a pattern on the table. "I always wake up when she has a nightmare."

"Why don't you stay the night with her anymore?" He knew why Nate didn't. Eliot's warning had scared the man off, so Nate spent the majority of his nights in the bar downstairs.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining a little in the faint light from the lamp he had turned on earlier. "Am I a bad person if I can't handle it anymore?"

He scooted his chair closer to her and wrapped a loose arm around her shoulders. "Hey, mama, you don't have to do anything, okay? You've been amazing, but everyone needs a break. You just need to say something."

"Does this count?" She pulled her legs up closer to her chest. "I want to do something to make it all better, but everything is only getting worse."

"It will get better. Eventually."

"Will it? Sophie's ribs are healing, but her nightmares are getting worse. Nate is drunk."

"And the rest of us are lost," he finished for her. He tucked her messy blonde hair behind her ears. "I'm here for you. Well make it through this."

Nate staggered into the apartment at that moment, his hands groping for the first piece of furniture he could get his hands on. Hardison watched as Parker turned to study Nate, her head cocked to one side, her eyes getting larger. She was too quiet. She shook her head and got up.

"I hope you're right." She smiled sadly and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."

He stared after her, his hand resting on his cheek. Nate stumbled against his chair and managed to heave his body into the one Parker had just vacated.

Hardison frowned. "Do you need some coffee?"

"What are you still doing up?" Nate peered at Hardison with bloodshot eyes.

"You need to sober up. I'll put that coffee on." Hardison stood and moved towards the kitchen. "I've been putting the finishing touches on our plan to take out Carlisle. Oh, and Sophie knows that you didn't tell her about Tara coming. She's not happy with you."

"I thought she likes Tara."

Hardison rolled his eyes. "She's mad because you didn't tell her anything. What happened to taking care of her, man?"

"She doesn't want me there." Nate let his head fall into his hands. "Besides, it's too much."

"Yeah, okay, so here is how this is going to go." Hardison walked back to where Nate was sitting and leaned over the table so he could stare Nate down. "You are going to sleep on the couch down here tonight. Tomorrow, you're going to apologize to Sophie for not telling her things that might be important for her to know. Then, you're going to actually stay the night with her and be with her when she has another nightmare."

"Because that went so well last time." Nate let out a sharp laugh. "I only hurt her. It's better if I don't stay with her."

Hardison shook his head. "Okay, yeah, maybe that's true. But no more drinking."

Nate waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, okay. Is that coffee ready yet?"

"I'll check." Hardison wandered back over to the kitchen and poured some of the scalding liquid into a cup. He handed it off to Nate and headed up the stairs.

He hesitated in the doorway of the spare bedroom, studying Parker's prone form. Her voice startled him.

"I'm not asleep if you want to come in." She sat up and moved over on the bed.

He took the invitation and settled down beside her. "Do you mind if I stay here for a little while?"

She curled up into a ball and snuggled into his side. "No. You can stay as long as you want."

"Okay, mama," he murmured.

* * *

Eliot sat on the edge of Nate's bed as Sophie walked across the room. He frowned when he realized her jeans were sagging, and the sweater she was holding in her hands looked like it was going to swallow her whole. He had suspected that she hadn't been eating enough, but he wasn't going to confront her about it. He didn't want to make her defensive; he wouldn't accomplish anything that way.

"When did you buy those jeans?" He figured that was as close to a neutral question as he was going to get.

She shrugged into her sweater; he had been right. It was much too big for her. "A couple of months ago. I don't really remember." She looked down and studied the floor. "Maybe I should get some new ones."

"Or you could start eating." It was out before he could stop, but he decided that he didn't care. She had always appreciated honesty from him before.

She walked to one of Nate's closets that she had taken over and opened it. She fingered a silk top. "Does it ever get easier, Eliot?"

He followed behind her and surveyed the clothes Parker had stowed there. "I can't really say."

She sighed and removed her hand. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you know that I wake up every night with nightmares?" She crossed her arms over her chest and chewed on her bottom lip. "They make me sick, Eliot, because all I can remember is their hands all over me. I've lost…something, and I don't know how to get it back. I don't know if I _can_ get it back."

"You will. You're Sophie fucking Devereaux." His lips curled up, and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You don't let anyone or anything beat you."

"I don't think I'm that person anymore." She slipped out of his grasp and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I can't think of what to do anymore. What am I supposed to do, Eliot?"

He walked over to her, and crouching in front of her, he took her hands in his. "I don't know, Sophie." He sighed and said, "Look, I can kill him, you know. It would be too good for him, but pretty much anything I do is too good for him."

She shook her head. "You're not that man anymore, Eliot."

"Yes, I am." His voice had gone quiet, and she was looking him straight in the eye. "I might not kill people for the jobs, but I still can, and I will do it without hesitation if I need to."

"That's not the same thing as killing someone for money," she replied. She reached out and cupped his cheek with a delicate hand. "You are a good man, and I can't let you destroy yourself to protect me, however noble the attempt might be."

"Fine." He stood up and offered his hand. She let him help her up. "Now, let's go get you some breakfast."

She smiled. "Can you make me an omelet?"

"Of course, darling."


	8. Pressure

**One of the fun parts about backpacking through Europe: the train rides where I spent a good deal of time handwriting a new chapter, along with various other updates and new stuff. :) This is longer than my other chapters, which I think is fitting since I haven't updated in a little while.**

**a friend**- I'm glad my Hardison came out okay. And, I had a great time, so thanks.

**stvko- **Thanks for the review. Unfortunately, I had papers to finish before I left. I've been let out of my finals, but that meant I have to write essays instead. I still have one left to do before I leave Ireland in seven days. And, continental Europe is beautiful.

**Now, onto the story. Let me know what you think. **

* * *

Eliot opened the door of Nate's apartment to see Tara standing in the hallway. She smiled at him and tossed her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder as she sauntered inside.

"Long time, no see, Sparky," she said, dropping her bag to the floor.

Eliot eyed the small piece of luggage. "Is that all you brought?"

"Is that your idea of a proper greeting?" She rolled her eyes. "Hardison is bringing the rest up. Where's everyone else?"

"Nate left awhile ago. No idea what he's doing. Parker might be dangling off the roof. Sophie's upstairs in the bedroom." He motioned to the stairs. "I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see you."

Tara moved towards the staircase but stopped. "Eliot, how bad is it?"

"The bruises are mostly gone. Her ribs and back are still healing up, so be careful. And, she's lost a lot of weight." He sighed. "She's different. She's trying to pretend like she's okay, but she's not."

"How not okay?"

"Just…. You know, she's your friend. Don't worry about it right now. She's looking forward to seeing you." He walked to the kitchen counter to continue chopping his vegetables. "Lunch will be ready soon. Make sure you tell her that."

She nodded her head and headed up the stairs. The door to Nate's bedroom was ajar. She peered inside and saw Sophie standing at the window, staring out at the city. She sucked in a breath at the sight, her quick eyes taking in Sophie's too-thin form, and the unusual slump in her shoulders.

"Hey, hot stuff," Tara called into the room, leaning against the doorframe.

Sophie turned around and smiled. "Hey. What are you doing here this early? I thought you wouldn't be here until tonight."

"Decided to take the earlier flight." Tara crossed the floor and pulled Sophie into a gentle hug. "How are you doing?"

"I've missed you."

Tara frowned but didn't press again for an answer. She opted for an easier topic; she could always press Eliot for information later.

"Eliot mentioned something about having lunch ready in a little while."

"That's nice." Sophie stepped back from Tara and turned to the window again.

Tara sighed; every minute that passed was only bringing up more questions in her mind. "What do you want to talk about, Sophie?"

"Nate brought you in for a con against Carlisle, didn't he?" Sophie's voice was tinged with a sharp edge; she sagged against the wall beside the window, watching Tara out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah," Tara replied slowly.

"Did he tell you everything that happened?"

"Of course, that's why I'm here." Tara ran her fingers through her hair. "I would have been here a lot sooner if anyone had told me. But, that must have been an inconvenience."

Sophie shook her head. "Tara."

But, Tara was on a roll. "Of course, that's what I've always been, right? An afterthought. Not that it matters. I'm here to get revenge for you. When you couldn't even be bothered to call me and tell me that some fucking bastard did this to you, and Nate is letting him still walk around."

"Tara, just stop," Sophie interrupted. Tara huffed, but she didn't continue. Sophie mustered up what she hoped was an apologetic smile; the differences weren't registering in her mind anymore. "I…appreciate what you're doing."

"Why didn't you call me?" Tara asked quietly, her normal confidence disappearing. "I would have been here for you."

"I know. At first, I didn't think about it. I was so focused on everything that had happened, and was on such heavy medication that it didn't occur to me." Sophie paused, biting her bottom lip as she stared down at the floor. She looked back up at Tara. "Then, I didn't want to. Things have been so complicated with Nate, and everything has been falling apart. I felt like if I asked you here, everyone else would feel even worse and guiltier than they already do because they weren't enough to take care of me."

"You need to do what's best for you." Tara walked over to her and cupped Sophie's chin with two fingers. "But, I'm here now. It's okay for you to need me."

Tears welled up in Sophie's eyes, and she tried to escape Tara's firm grasp. Tara just reached up and wiped away the salty tracks coursing down Sophie's cheeks. Without thinking, she pressed a soft kiss to Sophie's lips and pulled her into a gentle embrace. Sophie blinked back the rest of the water brimming on the edges of her eyelids and buried her face into Tara's shoulder.

* * *

Parker collapsed onto Hardison's couch. "Tara's here."

"Yeah, I know." Hardison didn't even look away from the game on his television screen. "I had to haul all her shit up to Nate's apartment. Three whole suitcases. How long is that woman planning on staying?"

"I think for a long time." She picked at the hem of her shirt. "I saw the two of them kissing."

"Who? Tara and Eliot? It figures that she wouldn't even be here a day before sleeping with him. Man doesn't even have to try."

"No. Sophie and Tara."

He put down his controller, just remembering to pause his game. "Are you sure? I thought Sophie was into Nate, and with everything that's happened, that…"

"Yeah." She sighed as she wrinkled her brow. "It was only one kiss, though. It's not like they were having sex. Of course, they probably already have."

"When?" he sputtered out. "And, how do you know that? Did Sophie tell you?"

"Back when they worked together. Sophie didn't tell me anything, but Tara said some stuff when she took Sophie's place. I just thought she was trying to annoy Nate."

"What kind of stuff?"

She shrugged. "She said something about how good Sophie looks naked. And, how good Sophie is with her tongue. That one made Nate blush. I couldn't figure it out."

"Parker, how can you…what…." He took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me anything? Does Eliot know?"

"He was in the room when Tara was talking about Sophie's tongue. He laughed. They didn't know I was there, so I thought I wasn't supposed to hear them." She paused and looked at him. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"I don't care." He picked up his controller and nodded his head for emphasis. "I was just curious, you know, out of concern for Sophie."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. I think I'm going back to Nate's. Eliot's making pasta tonight. Are you coming?"

He looked from his game to Parker, debating his options. This was the first time in days that he'd been able to sit down and get online to play. But, with the information Parker had just shared with him, he was curious to see how dinner would go. Besides, Eliot was cooking; he really didn't want to miss out on that, not when he only had some frozen dinners.

"Sure. Just let me save my game."

She grinned. "I'll meet you downstairs."

He had already turned his attention back to the screen, and when he looked back at where Parker had been sitting, he barely caught the sight of her diving out of his window.

He shook his head. "Seriously."

* * *

Dinner was tense. Nate brooded over one end of the table, spending equal amounts of time watching Sophie and downing glass after glass of wine. Eliot sat at the end of the table closest to the kitchen so he could refill plates and glasses as needed; he kept a close eye on Sophie as well, keeping count of every bite that went into her mouth. Tara alternated between sharing stories about what she had spent the past year doing and flirting with Sophie. She overindulged in light caresses along Sophie's arm, innuendoes that made Nate lunge for his wine glass, and she even pressed a soft kiss to Sophie's cheek after a second glass of wine.

Hardison was starving, so he ate as much as he could, but he didn't miss anything. He was the one who noticed Parker's agitation.

"Hey, mama, what's bothering you?" he hissed to the girl beside him as Sophie let loose a peal of laughter at one of Tara's stories.

Parker glared in Tara's direction and stabbed her fork into a piece of ravioli. Hardison's eyes widened at that, but when he got no further reaction, he returned his attention to his food.

For her part, Sophie could barely manage to eat anything. She could feel both Nate and Eliot staring her down. Tara was almost too much, with her attempts to distract Sophie only making her focus more on everything that was wrong. Then, she noticed Parker staring at Tara, looking like she just might launch across the table and strangle Tara.

"I saw Tara kiss Sophie."

Parker's announcement cut through the idle chatter buzzing around the table. Hardison stared at Parker, mouth gaping open mid-chew. Nate's face hardened, but he put down his glass. Tara's eyes darted to Sophie's aghast face. Eliot just looked at Sophie, waiting. Sophie met his icy-blue gaze, and when he gave her a small nod, she stood up.

"Dinner was wonderful, Eliot." Sophie mustered up a smile and walked around the table to pat his shoulder. "But, I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to go onto bed."

She walked down the length of the table, ignoring any questioning looks. As she passed by Nate, she paused, reaching out to brush her fingers against his cheek then retreating before she could; he was hunched forward, his muscles coiling with agitation. She gave the table a last despairing glance and hurried up the stairs.

Eliot waited until he heard the bedroom door close before turning to glare at Parker. "Why the hell would you say something like that?"

Hardison had managed to swallow his food in the interim, and he asked a little more calmly, "Seriously, Parker, what gives?"

"It's not like I was lying." Parker scooted down in her chair, a mixture of defiance and guilt playing across her face. "I don't see what the big deal is."

I would believe that if you didn't look so guilty." Eliot shook his head. Then, he turned to look at Tara. "And, why were you kissing her? Doesn't she have enough to deal with?"

Tara rose from her chair and leaned a little towards him. "I didn't think anything about it. Sophie and I have always been…"

"Been what?" Nate lifted his head and pinned her down with a dark stare. "Because I've always been under the impression that the two of you are friends. But, apparently, you're something more? Friends with benefits? Fuck buddies, if you prefer?"

"Not that it should matter to you," Tara shot back. "I can't count the number of times I've had to comfort Sophie while she cried over you. You know, I trusted you to take care of her. I trusted all of you! And, come to find out, you let her get hurt, and you haven't done a damn thing about it."

"That's not fair," Hardison said as he moved to wrap an arm around Parker's shoulders.

"No. But, it's true. And, that's what really matters, right, Parker?"

Parker's face went blank, and she stood up, stiff as a board, pushing Hardison to the side as she walked out the door.

Eliot growled a little and clenched his hands into fists. "Hardison, go after her. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

Hardison opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it when he looked again at Eliot. Eliot watched him leave the apartment then turned his attention back to Nate and Tara.

"Now, here is exactly what the two of you are going to do next. Nate, you're going to stop drinking." He reached over the table and grabbed Nate's glass. "Right now. You're going to stop brooding about what has already happened and focus on what we're going to do next. We have Tara now. It's about time we took down this Carlisle bastard."

"It doesn't matter," Nate mumbled as he sank back into his chair, eyeing his confiscated glass with longing.

"Damn it, Nate, it does!" Eliot slammed his hands down onto the table. "That bastard hurt Sophie, and we are going to get revenge for her." He turned his gaze on Tara. "And, you are going to wait here for Parker so you can apologize for hurting her feelings."

"But, Sophie needs…"

"Sophie could really use some peace." Eliot cut off her protest. "I'll check to make sure she's okay, but the last thing she needs is the two of you hovering over her and trying to one-up each other. She has enough problems without the two of you competing with each other for her."

"I'm not competing," Tara said grumpily. "It's not like I'm in love with her like Nate."

Eliot straightened up and started for the staircase. "I don't care what you think. I don't want either of you near her right now. She went through hell to keep the team safe, and all any of us is managing to do is to make her feel like shit."

Eliot turned his back on them and trudged up the stairs, suddenly very tired. He paused outside Nate's bedroom and knocked.

Sophie didn't move from where she was lying on the bed, half-curled around the pillow she was crying into. "Go away."

"I just want to make sure you're okay." Eliot's voice was muffled by the thick wood, but she could still hear him. "Either you let me in, or I break down the door, but no way in hell am I leaving without seeing you."

"It's open, then."

She sat up and wiped away the remaining tears on her cheeks as he walked inside. He didn't speak, just sank onto the bed beside her with a groan. She waited, her eyes focused on the floor. She could see the grain of the wood, swirling in patterns.

He finally broke the silence. "So, you and Tara, huh?"

"It's nothing." She shook her head. "No, that's not right. She's my best friend. She's never been anything more."

"Friends that have sex?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you. But, yes, occasionally."

"Hey, I don't really care. If it works for you, then, great. But, Nate doesn't like it. That's a huge mess that you're going to have to sort through eventually."

"Of course. It all comes back to him, doesn't it?"

"Not if you don't want it to." Eliot gave her arm a gentle nudge with his elbow. "He can go fuck himself. I'm worried about you."

"What do you want to hear?"

"The truth would be nice."

"I keep…trying to make everyone else feel better, but I'm not doing a very good job of it." She smiled bitterly. "I have no idea what to do anymore."

"Don't worry about them. They all just need to grow up."

"That's true. But, when I can focus on all of you, I stop thinking about what happened. I feel like I can breathe a little. But, when nights like this happen…" She turned her face away from him and forced back the tears rising in her eyes. "I can't forget. It's always there."

He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Sophie, maybe you should think about it. This isn't something you can brush off, and no amount of revenge is going to change what those men did to you."

"What, are you saying that I should get professional help?" she scoffed. "That's a brilliant idea. I'm sure it will work wonders."

"I'm saying that you need to do what's best for you, no matter what right now, and fuck everyone else. They'll figure out how to deal."

"Funny, Tara said something like that earlier today."

"Well, at least she's managed to do something useful."

The corners of her mouth quirked up at that, and he relaxed a little, satisfied that he had managed a small amount of damage control. There was a lot more he wanted to ask about, but he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Curiosity could wait.

"I'll leave you alone now." He stood up. "You'll be all right by yourself?"

"I imagine Parker will be dropping in soon." She smiled up at him. "I promise, I'm all right. Now, go make Nate clean up the dishes."

He grinned at that idea. "I'll see you in the morning, Sophie."

The second after he closed the door, Parker's feet hit the hardwood floor. Sophie turned her head and caught a glimpse of blonde hair before Parker joined her on the bed.

"I'm sorry." Parker's voice was flat and she stared at the bedspread, but Sophie knew this was a sincere apology; she would be wary if Parker made an effort to include emotion.

"I know, and I'm not mad." Sophie sighed and tucked Parker's hair away from her face. "But, I do want you to tell me why. I can guess at reasons, but I would much rather understand."

Parker shrugged away from Sophie and jumped up to pace the floor. "She's not supposed to be here. We don't need her. All she's done is mess everything up."

"Parker, this is not helping."

"This was the first time you've really smiled since those men took you away, and it was because of her." Parker frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "We're the ones who have been here, but you smiled because of Tara."

Sophie patted the space beside her. "Come here and sit down." When Parker obliged and sat on the bed, legs poised to break into a run, Sophie sighed and waited as she chose her words with care, knowing that she had to find something to say that Parker would understand. "Honey, Tara is a grifter like me. She knows how I think, and she was using that to keep me from brooding. It was a manipulation of sorts, but it doesn't last. You've done more for me these past weeks than anyone, and I appreciate that. I do."

"But, why can't you smile?"

"I don't understand what you mean, sweetie?"

"Why can't you smile for me or Hardison or Eliot or Nate? Why Tara?"

"I have." Sophie met Parker's gaze and stretched her mouth into a smile. "See? That's not because of Tara."

"And, it's not real, either." Parker scuffed her feet on the floor, a little mollified when she left behind marks. "I guess I can understand. You shouldn't have to make us feel better."

"No, I shouldn't." Sophie gave Parker's hand a squeeze. "Trust me, things will get better."

"If you say so." Parker stood up. "I'm right across the hall if you need me. Or, you know. Whatever."

"I know." Sophie bit the inside of her cheek and tried again for the smile. "Now, get out. I'm going to take a shower."

Parker studied her face for a moment then grinned. "Yeah, okay."

She bounced out of the room, and Sophie shook her head, folding in on herself a little. She took off her shirt, wincing at the pull against her wrapped ribs. As she tossed the piece of clothing onto the bed, Tara walked into the room.

"Can you at least knock?" Sophie snapped. "I can't get any privacy around here."

Tara shifted her feet, her back curving against the doorframe. "Are you mad at me?"

Sophie arched her eyebrows. "Should I be?"

"Apparently, I'm causing a lot of problems."

"I don't think I'm up to making you feel better." Sophie sighed and crossed her arms across her chest, wishing that she still had her shirt on and thinking about insisting that Nate put a deadbolt on the bedroom door. Not that it would keep anyone out; the illusion would just be nice. "Just stick around. I'm glad you're here."

Tara rolled her eyes. "Earlier, you were explaining exactly why you didn't want me to be here."

"I changed my mind."

"Woman, you're going to make me crazy."

Sophie giggled a little. "I don't think that's because of me."

When Sophie reached behind her to grab her shirt, Tara pretended to pout. "Keep it off. I like you better without it."

"Pervert." But Sophie let the fabric slip through her fingers. "What am I going to do with you?"

Tara wiggled her eyebrows in what could have been a suggestive manner. "I can think of a few things. Most of them involve you wearing a lot less, though."

"You're losing your touch, darling." Sophie bit down on her lower lip, tired of the game. "Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"It's according to what you want."

"Stay with me. Please?"

Tara shrugged. "Sure. I'm just going to put out there that Nate might not like the idea."

"Nate doesn't matter right now."

"Then, I'll go grab my bags. You can get your shower. I promise I won't peek."

Sophie waved Tara out of the room and let out a long breath. Her thoughts floated through the evening as she continued undressing. Things with Tara would get better, especially after they put the con in action. She would probably tell Nate one more time that she hated the idea of dangling Tara in front of Carlisle and taking the risk that this could all happen again. Of course, that would involve them being in the same room at the same time, which never happened anymore, at least, not when he could help it. Not that she minded all that much. She was too tired to deal with him and his drinking.

She would talk to him later. She would have to. She didn't trust him not to take some stupid risk, especially without her there to rein him in. She swayed a little and let her knees buckle, falling onto the bed. He should be the one to rescue her. But, he wasn't, and she didn't know if he ever would.


	9. Bend

**I know it's been awhile since I've updated, and I'm sorry. It took me a little while to transition back to home from Ireland, and almost right after I got back, my computer got a virus and had to be sent into the shop. However, I've got it back and everything's good. This chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but it works better separated like this. Hopefully the next update won't take so long. **

**stvko- **I'm glad you liked the twist with Tara. It wasn't supposed to happen originally, but Tara kind of took over after I put her in the story. I'm glad you like my Eliot still. I love his relationship with Sophie so much, but I love it because it's such an amazing friendship with a small side of flirting. So, no Eliot/Sophie romance will be happening (despite the fact that they would be totally hot together).

* * *

Tara popped her neck and glanced over at Eliot. "Ready to roll?"

He grunted. "Yeah. Still don't like this plan. Bastard is getting off too easy."

"Well, can't we do something about that?"

"Like what?"

"Things happen, you know. If you change the script, then you can do what you want." She grinned. "Explain again why we're playing by Nate's rules?"

He gave her a grim smile. "Okay, I'm in. What do you want to do?"

"I do believe karma is a bitch. I'll give you a signal, okay?"

He just hummed in approval; she raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything.

* * *

Hardison was going to kill them. Eliot and Tara were currently off his radar since they had taken their earpieces out, and Nate was refusing to go after them. In the meantime, he was left to keep Sophie from finding out anything. The woman had been a mess of nerves since Tara's first meeting with Carlisle, and she was currently pacing the floor of Nate's bedroom. He hoped she stayed up there until he got Eliot and Tara back on their comms.

"Messing up all the work I put into this plan." He was typing a little harder than he should. "Didn't sleep for two whole nights, and because he wants to go bust some heads…"

"Shut up, Hardison." Parker sighed and readjusted her position on the roof of Carlisle's office building. "He deserves this."

"Yeah, and we're not throwing out the plan," Nate said. "We're just…delaying it."

"Well, you can be the one to explain that to Sophie."

"Explain what?" Sophie was looking at him from where she was standing on the staircase.

"Why we don't have any orange juice?" Hardison offered weakly.

She narrowed her eyes and crossed the room, swiping an earpiece before he could stop her. "Nate, tell me what the hell is going on."

"Hardison, you were supposed to keep her occupied."

"Me? Okay, you're just asking for miracles now." Hardison shook his head. "I'm supposed to keep up with four crazy people who can't stay on script and entertain a woman who is five minutes away from a nervous breakdown. Seriously, not cool."

"I'm not about to have a nervous breakdown." She looked at the computer screen, but she couldn't make out what was going on. "Talk to me, Nate. What's happening?"

"Nothing, really. Everything is going according to plan."

She rolled her eyes. "You're lying. Parker? You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"Eliot and Tara have Carlisle, and they're probably torturing him right now," Parker blurted out in one breath.

"That's all she has to do to make you tell her anything?" Nate asked. "You could have lied."

"She would know."

"How?"

"Sophie just _knows._" Parker huffed and dangled her feet over the side of the building. "I'm bored now."

"Don't go anywhere." Nate sighed. "Soph, they're fine. I promise."

"I have no doubt they are." Sophie's voice bit into him like acid. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"The smart thing," Hardison muttered. "Eliot's been looking for blood, and Tara is right there with him. Carlisle is going to wish they would just kill him."

"I told you to keep an eye on them, Nate. Next time, listen to me." Sophie pulled the earpiece out of her ear and tossed it onto the counter. "Let me know when you get them back, Hardison."

"Will do," he called after her as she started up the stairs. He turned back to his computer. "So, what do we do now?"

"We'll wait." Nate glanced out the window of the office building he was currently in. "Parker, you have the files?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Stay where you are. Got that?"

"Fine." She sat down and looked over the edge of the roof. "I never get to do anything fun."

"Parker, you're sitting on a roof, waiting to jump off," Hardison put in. "I thought you liked doing that."

"This is too easy. I didn't even get to use my taser."

"I thought Eliot took that away from you."

She snickered. "Yeah, he did."

Nate groaned. "Hardison, what about those three guys you tracked down?"

"I've got all their information and linked them to the prostitution rings. We just have to make sure the police get the paper trail."

"Can you handle that?"

"Yeah. Nothing else to do."

"Are you sure that I can't go clean out the other safes in the building?"

"No, Parker."

* * *

"What do you people want?" Carlisle struggled against the ropes binding him in a wooden chair. "I'll give you whatever you want. Just name it."

Tara sighed heavily and wandered over to him, pulling out a knife. "I thought I told you to shut up."

Carlisle shrank away from her. "Please don't hurt me."

"Is that what she said while you held her down and raped her?" Eliot joined Tara, lashing out at Carlisle's right leg and hitting his shin with a well-placed kick; they all heard the bone crack.

Tara traced a path down Carlisle's chest with her knife to his thighs, dangling the point over his crotch. "You know, I could take your balls. You would probably make it to the emergency room and survive. What do you think?"

"Please. Why are you doing this?"

"You hurt our partner." Eliot knelt down so he could stare Carlisle down. "We take that kind of personally."

"She was trying to con me out of my money!"

"I'm getting bored. Maybe I'll take a few fingers as well." Tara flicked the knife's edge against one of his thumbs, grinning when he whimpered. "It isn't as much fun when you're not doing the torturing, is it?"

Eliot reached out and wrenched Carlisle's middle finger in the opposite direction of the way it was supposed to bend. Carlisle screamed as the bone snapped in half. Eliot repeated the action on the opposite hand. A dark patch spread along the front of Carlisle's pants.

Tara snorted. "This is pathetic."

Eliot shook his head and forced Carlisle to look at him. "Listen, this is the way this is going down. The police are going to come and take you away. You will not tell anyone about us. If you do, well, I promise, we can do much worse than this without killing you."

Tara grabbed his thumb and cut it off. Some blood spurted onto her clothes as the appendage fell to the floor and Carlisle's yells rebounded off the walls.

"Much worse," she whispered into his ear, trailing the knife's point along his cheeks, pushing a little harder and breaking the delicate skin.

Eliot stood back and watched as Tara lit a cigarette and crossed in front of Carlisle, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke into his face. As Carlisle choked on the contaminated air, Tara pressed the butt to his forehead in one swift movement. The stench of burning skin drifted into the atmosphere, and Eliot wrinkled his nose. He didn't move to stop her. Tara moved back and cocked her head to the side, admiring her handiwork.

"You should break some of his ribs. I'll call the cops."

Eliot nodded his head and moved in as Carlisle said, "You're calling the cops?"

"Of course. How else are they supposed to know how to find you? Of course, we'll be long gone. Eliot, work quickly?" Tara turned away from the two and pulled out her phone.

Eliot hefted a crowbar he had liberated from the trunk of Tara's car and swung it into Carlisle's chest. The crack was audible. Eliot repeated the motion, this time aiming a little lower. Carlisle was doubled over in pain, trying to keep Eliot from attacking again. The crowbar just caught him along the jaw and broke it.

"Well, I guess that will work." Eliot slung the crowbar over his shoulder and wandered over to Tara. "Ready?"

"Yeah. We'll let the others know what's going on after we get to the car."

Eliot looked back and said, "Remember, one word to anyone, and I will find you."

Tara lit up another cigarette and inhaled as they walked out. "We do good work together."

"We have three others to take care of."

"Really? I thought the police were picking them up."

"Do you really want it to go that way?"

"Of course not."

Eliot shrugged. "Then, come on. Hit hard and fast."

Tara smirked and crushed her cigarette under her heel before climbing into the driver's side of the car. "Get in, Sparky."

* * *

Sophie walked the length of Nate's bedroom and back again to the window, her thumb resting against her bottom lip. Nate and Parker had gotten back, but there was still no word from Eliot or Tara.

"You shouldn't worry about them."

She whirled around to look at Nate. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

She laughed in bitter amusement and shook her head. "I didn't want this to happen. I told him that."

"There are some things that you can't stop."

"Like you didn't stop them even though you knew they would go off on their own?"

"Whatever happens to those men, they deserve it." He sighed and walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "You know that."

"I've seen what Tara can do. Back when we worked together, it wasn't just art that we stole. The people we worked with, the things we did…." She trailed off and looked back out the window. "It's not something I wanted to happen here, no matter what those men did to me. I left that part of my life behind me a long time ago."

"You're not the one hunting them down and torturing them."

"It's because of me. Pretty much the same thing."

"Why?" He moved in some, brushing his fingers against her arm.

She withdrew, wrapping her arms across her chest. "I want them to hurt. I've never…what happened…it haunts me constantly. I screamed, begged, and…nothing. They held me down. Hurt me. Raped me. Because they wanted to."

He pressed his lips together, his hands clenching into involuntary fists. He breathed deeply and forced his fingers to relax; moving slowly, he reached out for her and pulled her into an embrace. Her hair fell into her face as she rested her forehead against his shoulder, a shudder coursing through her body.

"I don't care what you've done in the past. It doesn't matter anymore. You're here. What we do, that's part of who you are now." He smiled a little. "And, no matter what, I'm right here with you."

"Small comfort," she sniffled through the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

He laughed. "Yeah, I get it. I'm a bastard who drinks too much."

"You forgot control freak."

"Are you ever planning on saying something nice to me?"

She tilted her head back and met his eyes. "I trust you."

He wiped away the tear tracks on her face with his thumb, his other hand curving with familiarity around her waist. "Yeah, me too."

"Hey, Nate, Eliot and Tara are back!" Hardison yelled up the stairs.

He sighed and stepped back, his hand traveling down her arm to catch onto the edges of her fingers. "I should probably get down there and chew them out."

"I'll be down in a minute," she said quietly, turning away.

He ran his fingers through his hair, wincing when he hit a snarl. He scuffed his shoe against the floor and walked out, leaving the door open. She drifted back to the window and peered up into the sky. Her hands rested against her abdomen; she could feel the outlines of the bandages wrapped around her ribs. The scars were almost gone. She wished it was as easy to forget.


	10. Shatter

**Well, we are on the downward spiral now. I'm not sure exactly how much more I will write. Definitely at least two more chapters. Maybe three or four. So, I would like to thank all those who reviewed the last chapter, and I would like to apologize for the long wait for everyone who is reading this. I've been busy with a summer class and getting my Big Bang off the ground, and I've suffered an incredible lack of inspiration or motivation. Normally I can accomplish something with one or the other, but lacking both, I've floundered some. Even this chapter took a lot longer than normal to get out. **

**I hope everyone enjoys it. As you will notice, the rating has changed to "M," the reasons of which will be very evident later on in the chapter. I couldn't think of any way of keeping this at a "T" rating, and I tried splitting the "M" part off, but it didn't really work out. So, I just decided to change the rating of the story. You are now warned. Please review if you like it. Feel free to review if you don't, but know that all flames are ignored and deleted on principle. **

* * *

Eliot tried to ignore Sophie's complete silence as he unwrapped the bandages around her torso, but she was also staring him down, and that was more than he could handle.

"You're mad at me." He always felt it was best to get right to the point with her; otherwise, they could talk in circles all day.

She shifted and tilted her head. "I asked you not to do it, and you did."

"I needed to."

"Why?"

"Because it's what I do. I protect my team. My family. He's lucky Tara and I didn't do more." He prodded at her soft skin, watching her for any signs of pain. "You could have mentioned how dangerous that woman is."

"I couldn't." She wasn't looking at him anymore, and he pulled his hands away.

He realized in that moment that Sophie had lied when she claimed that she hadn't hurt anyone in her past. Of course, that had been when they had all just started working together, so he couldn't really blame her for keeping that a secret. He just wished he had known, that she had told him eventually. It felt like she was lying to him all over again.

"Eliot, I didn't know how to tell anyone." She reached out and grabbed his hand, a gesture he couldn't bring himself to reject. "I'm not…proud of some of the things I've done. Can you understand?"

"I just wish I had known," he mumbled. "We deserve the truth. From you. Unless you want Hardison digging around in your past."

"He won't."

"How do you know?"

"Because he could have done the same with you, and he hasn't. Maybe I should have told all of you. I didn't think I had to because that's not who I am now. I have changed." She gave him a small smile. "We all have pasts, but that doesn't mean we have to be defined by them."

He sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. "What if we are?"

"I don't think you are, Eliot. If you were, you wouldn't be here."

He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face, but at least he was pretty sure she wasn't manipulating him. "Well, you're all healed up."

"So that means I can help out on our next job?" Her face shone with eagerness.

"We have a job?" He didn't know how much Nate had told her, and he wasn't going to be the one to piss the man off by giving Sophie permission to get back into the field.

"Yes, Nate met with a client yesterday. He said that if my ribs were healed, then I could have a small part. He says he doesn't want to push me, but I just want to get out of this damn apartment."

"Take it easy, darling. But, I can clear you for work. Which means you'll have to stop taking the pain pills. I know they've been helping you sleep, so if you want some sleeping pills…"

"No. I'm fine."

"Sophie."

"Eliot, I am a grown woman. I do not need anything."

"I'm getting you some anyway."

"No."

"Damn it, Sophie, I'm not going to make you take them. It's just in case." He was almost-yelling, but he was holding himself back for the most part.

She seemed to wilt a little before his anger, but she quickly regained her composure and added some haughtiness in for good measure. "Fine."

He laughed, then, at her stubbornness, and pulled her into a hug. She stiffened then relaxed into him, nuzzling her nose a little into his cheek. He smiled at the affectionate gesture.

"I've missed you," he said.

"I'm not back yet." She cocked her head to the side and gave him a smile tinged with sadness, fondness, and just a little bit of cheek in the way only she could.

He shook his head and stood up. "But, you're on your way. And, that counts for something."

Something flickered through her eyes, and he almost commented on it, but the darkness was gone in an instant. He smiled and left. Worry still nagged at the back of his mind. He ignored it. She was on the road to recovery.

* * *

Nate surveyed his assembled team and tried to pinpoint the feeling of disquiet lurking in the back of his mind. Sophie was back, seated in between Eliot and Parker, and it should feel right. Something was off. He shook his head and finished off his coffee before heading over to the screens on the wall to join Hardison.

"Okay, Hardison, run it." He clapped his hands together to try to generate some excitement, but he was met with lackluster looks.

"What's wrong with you people?" Hardison asked, the only one who looked like an uncontained ball of energy, which was odd because usually Parker was the one bobbing around the room and being a general nuisance. "We've got Sophie back!"

Eliot muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "That's the problem."

Parker just twisted the end of her braid around her fingers and stared at the tabletop. Tara draped her languid body over a chair and shrugged, her eyes trained on Sophie. Eliot sat in his chair, practically vibrating from his tensed muscles. Sophie was the only one who met Nate's eyes; she smiled at him, and he felt a familiar warmth spreading through his body before he pushed that aside to deal with later. Much later. He had a more immediate problem.

"Let's just try and stay focused. This should be an easy job." Nate turned his attention to Hardison and considered joining the others at the table. After glancing at Sophie, he decided he would be better off staying where he was.

"We shouldn't take this job," Parker burst out just as Hardison pulled up the first pictures for the briefing.

"What?" Nate wheeled around to look at her, and he waited for Sophie to go into damage-control mode. When she didn't, he realized with a sinking feeling that he might have figured out the source of unbalance.

"It's too dangerous. We shouldn't do this job. It's….too soon." Parker glared at him, and it didn't take long for the rest of them to catch onto the reason Parker was so agitated.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Any semblance of an equilibrium had been destroyed, and Nate knew he was going to flounder with any sort of argument or explanation. He watched Sophie; she was staring straight ahead, her eyes tinged with fear and weariness that were becoming much too familiar.

"I need this," Sophie finally said in a quiet voice. She was looking right at Nate. "I can't hide out here forever. Please. I need this."

Nate nodded his head. "Does anyone want to argue with her?"

He didn't expect any protests, and they moved on without any more incidents. But, there was a rigidity, a solemnity, shadowing every word and movement that had never appeared before in their small team. It worried him more than many of the things that had happened in the past. They were breaking apart, and he wasn't capable of putting them back together. That had always been Sophie; and, he didn't think she would be able to help keep them together because she was spiraling out just as much, if not more, than all of them.

* * *

Sophie was working harder than she should to keep her focus on the mark. William Hall, esteemed businessman and known asshole. It was almost too cold in the elegant ballroom. Tara had put her in a shimmering white dress that dipped dangerously low in the front, and she fought the urge to fidget with it. All the quiet elegance and grace that had come naturally to her were gone, and it was frustrating. Every action required a thought behind it, something she hadn't had to deal with since her early years as a grifter.

Thank goodness she was only the roper for this con and Tara would be taking the bulk of the work.

"Would you care to dance?"

William's hand landed on her forearm, and her instincts flared to life. She started to jerk away from him before remembering where she was, and she fished out a flustered smile.

"Actually, I need to go powder my nose. Will you excuse me?"

She slipped away from him without waiting for a response.

"What the hell was that?" Nate demanded angrily in her ear.

She hurried into the bathroom and made sure it was empty. Leaning against a wall, she shook her head as she took gulping breaths in an effort to calm her racing pulse.

"I don't know. I just…I can't do this, Nate. It was just a touch, and I panicked."

She could feel his pause through the earbud, and it was oddly comforting. He would come up with a solution. After all, he was the man with a plan.

"Okay. Tara, can you take Sophie's part? Soph, you can come back to the van, and I'll take you back to my place."

She had never said that she always liked his plans. "No."

"Don't be unreasonable. It's a minor change."

"I've already made contact, and he's almost hooked. If I leave now, he might get suspicious."

"Then you need to tell us how we can help you," Tara chimed in.

Sophie closed her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Parker's voice jolted her from her thoughts. "Do you need a paper bag? I've heard that helps with panic attacks."

"She's fine, Parker," Eliot said in a gruff voice.

"She's hiding out in the bathroom. I don't think that's what is normally called 'fine'," Hardison pointed out.

"There are too many people in my head," Sophie said quickly. "I can't think."

"I can set it up so you can only hear one person over the earbuds," Hardison offered. "Just pick someone."

The answer came almost too easily, but she could handle the ramifications later. "Nate. Do it."

Her comm went silent almost instantly, then Nate's voice was in her ear, warm comfort stealing through her. "Okay, Soph, I want you to think about that night in Damascus."

"We had several." She fought against the tremors threatening to steal into her words.

"This would be seven years ago. You had on a dark blue dress with a spectacular diamond necklace that I was sure you had stolen right from under my nose only the year before."

"You danced with me that night. Didn't I steal your wallet?"

"Yes, which was annoying when I was trying to get a cab back to my hotel later."

She laughed and unclenched her fists, an action she was only just registering. God, she was a mess. "I suppose I could apologize for that now. But why that night?"

"It was our first dance together. Just hold onto that to keep you calm. Besides, I want you to use a few of the same tricks that you used on me."

"Okay. I think I'm ready." She started for the door. She paused to whisper, "Thank you, Nate."

"For what?"

"For understanding. Knowing."

* * *

Tara slipped into the bed beside her, and Sophie rolled over to face her. She was a little surprised to see that Tara had already settled down in a position facing her as well. But, of course she would anticipate this.

"Are you doing okay?" Tara's hands stroked through her hair with a careless intimacy.

"I've lost a piece of myself. My real self, not some identity I've made up. How do I get it back?" Her voice felt like it was too small, like a little girl's who's afraid of what might be lurking under her bed or in the closet.

Tara let out a small laugh, equal parts amusement and bitterness. "You're asking the wrong person, sweetheart."

"Do you ever wonder if you're making all the wrong decisions?"

"Of course." She paused, shifting her weight to her right elbow so she could peer down at Sophie in the dim light from the moonbeams streaming in through the window. "This isn't one for you, though."

"Are you sure?" Sophie traced her fingers over Tara's forehead and cheekbones, a delicate whisper of a touch.

"You're the one who has to know."

"Will things get better? Will I…"

"I can't give you that answer."

Sophie reached up and pulled Tara's face closer. Their lips met in a chaste kiss, a soft pressure that grew into a feverish kiss born out of years of friendship and this something more they've entertained but never invested in. Sophie broke away first, fighting back tears.

Tara immediately curled her body around Sophie's. "I think I should move out."

"Where will you go?" Sophie pressed her nose into Tara's neck and kissed the soft skin there.

"I was thinking about your place until you're ready to move back in. I'll still be here for you."

"I know." Her quiet assurance even surprised Sophie, but she held onto it. It was one of the only sure things she had right now.

* * *

Nate walked into his kitchen and watched Sophie move around the counter. She was contemplating a bottle of whiskey and two small glasses filled with the amber liquid.

"Are you going to drink one of those or just stare?" he asked, joining her at the island.

She looked up at him with a sheepish grin, sliding one of the glasses in his direction, her wrist upturned to him. "Sorry. I just felt like I could use a drink since the job is done."

"You did fine, you know." He lifted the glass to his mouth and took a sip.

"I choked."

She drank deeply from own glass, reaching for the bottle once she had drained away her whiskey. She had to stretch across him to grab it. Her hair fell to the side, exposing the soft skin of her neck. He wrapped his fingers around her arm and tugged her away from the bottle.

"Whatever you want, you don't have to con me." He kept his voice calm because he wasn't angry. Not yet, at least.

She tried to widen her brown eyes with innocence, but when he gave her a knowing look, she dropped the act. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and she sighed.

"I just thought…" She shook her head and let her voice trail off.

"What is it, Soph?"

"I don't know how to ask you for this."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had an inkling about what she was after, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"Just spit it out. I won't laugh or anything."

She grabbed the countertop and held on until her knuckles turned white. She was trembling, and he tried to rub her back. She jerked away from him, her body vibrating with her tension.

"I need you," she whispered. "I…I've been so fucking lost, and I don't know what to do, and I need to know that I'm okay, that I'm not broken. I don't want to be broken, Nate. Goddamn it." Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them back. "Please tell me you understand. That you can help me. Because I can't keep going on like this. This is so fucked up!"

"Sophie," he began, but she interrupted him, whirling around and grabbing onto the front of his shirt.

"Please, Nate. If you've ever cared about me or wanted me, please do this for me. I know it's like I'm using you. But, I'm not. Not really. I don't know what to do. Fuck, I just…please, Nate. Please."

He grabbed her hands and held her still as he looked at her. Her chest was heaving with her panicked breathing, and her eyes were wild with desperation. He almost walked away. He moved on instinct and threaded his fingers through her dark curls, cupping her cheek with his other hand.

"Okay." He smiled at her. "Okay."

She nodded her head, echoing him. "Okay."

He leaned closer, hesitating, and her eyes fluttered closed when his breath skimmed the side of her face. He kissed her gently, cradling her jaw in his hand. Her mouth molded to his, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer. He broke away from her lips for a moment, then moved back in for another kiss. This time, he pressed with more insistence and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. Her mouth parted, and her hands reached for the button of his pants as he slid his tongue against hers.

He took a step back. She tried to reach for him, but he took her hands in his and shook his head.

"Slow, okay?" he said in a soft voice.

She nodded in answer and let him pull her into his arms. In a smooth movement, he swept her off her feet, cradling her body against his chest as he headed for the stairs. She took advantage of this new position to start kissing his neck. When she found a sensitive place on his throat, she nipped at it then gave it an open-mouthed kiss, experimenting with her teasing. He groaned in the back of his throat and kept going.

He placed her on his bed, letting her pull him down on top of her into a heated kiss. Her fingers flew down the buttons of his shirt, and she tugged at it insistently until he slipped it off his shoulders and to the floor. He let her then unfasten his pants, and he shed them. But, when she reached for his boxers, he stilled her feverish grasping.

He slid his palms up legs over the fabric of her jeans. He helped her shimmy out of the pants and turned his attention to her neck, kissing and biting gently as he traced his left hand down her spine and his right hand cupped one of her breasts through her shirt and bra. She whimpered and arched her neck into his lips; he smiled and pulled her shirt up and over her head.

He paused to look at her, lying on sheets that smelled more like her than him, and he took in the angles of her form. Even with hipbones that jutted out a little too much and hollowed-out cheeks, she was beautiful, smiling up at him and snaking hands into his hair to tug at his unruly curls.

He slid a bra strap off her shoulder. "You are so beautiful." He punctuated every word with small kisses.

She hummed and bucked her hips playfully at him. He fumbled a little with her bra's clasp, but he managed and got rid of it. He took a nipple into his mouth, pulling on it with his teeth and running his tongue over it. He smirked up at her as she moaned, and he could see her brown eyes growing darker.

"Please, Nate," she whispered, twisting her legs a little underneath him.

He let one hand fall to the junction of her hip and thigh, his thumb brushing teasingly across the dampening fabric of her underwear. Trailing his mouth lower, down the valley between her breasts to her stomach, he pressed his thumb against her again, earning a choked gasp.

He breathed in the heady scent of her arousal and slipped one finger underneath the edge of her panties. She arched her back and lifted her hips; he pulled her underwear down her legs and positioned himself in between her thighs, keeping his left hand on her hip. He flicked her clit with his tongue.

"Nate," she moaned out. He repeated the action. "Fuck…God, Nate. Please."

He moved slowly, but he slid two fingers into her as he closed his lips around her clit and sucked gently. He curled his fingers and had to press a little harder on her hip to keep her from bucking and hitting him in the mouth. One of her hands grasped at the sheets and the other moved to his head, pushing him closer to her body and tightening a little painfully in his hair. He picked up the pace, and within moments, she came, her body shuddering with the force of her climax.

He eased himself up beside her; he licked his hand clean and leaned over her trembling form to press a kiss to her lips. He started to pull away, and she mewled in disappointment; he chuckled and tilted her chin towards him, kissing her. He was almost painfully hard by now, and when one of her hands brushed against the front of his boxers, he groaned and buried his face into her neck.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and tugged him over on top of her; he ran his hands down her sides and kissed the soft swell of her breast. Her fingers slid into his boxers, wrapping around him and fumbling a little when he thrust his hips involuntarily towards her. He covered her mouth with his, slipping his tongue past her lips. She moaned and withdrew her hand. He pushed his boxers down, struggling to get them past his hips as he was focused on the way her tongue slid against his. He finally pulled them off and held himself above her body, stroking the palm of his hand against her breast.

"Are you sure?" His voice was rough with his desire.

She nodded her head, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth. He slid a hand underneath her hip and lifted her up as he guided himself into her. He groaned at the feeling of her surrounding him and dropped his head to her neck to nip at her skin. He rocked his hips into hers and glanced over at her face. He frowned.

Her eyes were wide, but instead of the earlier pleasure, she looked afraid. Her nails were digging painfully into his shoulder as her chest heaved with frantic breaths. He reached up to brush her hair out of her face, but she recoiled away from his hand. Tears flowed from her eyes, and she whimpered and tightened her grasp on his shoulders.

"Sophie, look at me," he urged in a soft voice, trying to move away so he could help her, but she wouldn't let him go. "Soph, it's okay. It's just me."

She shook her head and screwed her eyes closed, her breathing quickening even as her fingers tightened their grasp on his skin. He had to do something; he could tell that she was panicking. Cradling the back of her neck in one hand and pulling her up against his body with the other, he rolled to the side until he was lying on his back. She blinked and relaxed her hands a little as she looked down at him, confused now.

He smiled. "If you want this, Soph, then you need to take it. You're in control now."

She watched him; she moved her hands along his chest and took a few deep breaths. She rotated her hips experimentally, moaning at the rush of sensation. She steadied herself against his chest and guided one of his hands to rest on her hip as she continued to rock into him. Leaning forward, she kissed him as she grabbed onto the headboard with one hand and pushed back against his hips.

He tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth and murmured, "I love you."

She closed her eyes, and he brushed his fingers against her clit. Her movements were less steady now, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to last much longer. His body pulsed with his need, and he rubbed gentle circles in between her legs even as she slid her thighs further apart and tilted her head back as her spine arched in a delicately graceful motion.

She shuddered and groaned, and her muscles clenched around him even as he continued to flicker his fingers against her in a faster rhythm. The world went white around the edges, and he came, jerking his hips into hers then stilling. A moment later, she followed him over the edge; she collapsed against his chest, her body melting into his as her breath whispered along his jaw. He didn't move, content to lay there with her, pressing his lips to her flushed face.


	11. Confusion

Nate woke up the next morning and smiled at the sight of Sophie sleeping peacefully beside him. Judging by the light coming through his curtains, it was early in the morning; he kissed her forehead and slid out of the bed. He shivered a little when the cool air hit his bare skin, and he fumbled around for his boxers and shirt from last night. Pulling them on, he wandered out of the room and down the stairs.

He made a beeline for his coffeepot. The first strong whiff of the brewing coffee drifted against his nose; he sighed and released the tension remaining from the previous night. While he couldn't say he was unhappy with the current turn of events, he still felt taken by surprise and a little off-kilter because he didn't know the next step to take.

It was too early in the morning to be thinking so much. He turned his attention to the refrigerator with the intention of making Sophie an omelet and having breakfast in bed with her. He amended the idea to just giving her breakfast in bed when the door opened, and Eliot and Tara walked in.

"Good morning." He ran a quick hand through his hair and tried to put on a smile.

Eliot frowned at him, and before Nate could do anything, Eliot reached him in two strides and punched him across the jaw.

Nate fell back onto his ass and slid a little along the floor. "What the hell?"

"Where is she?" Eliot growled.

Tara immediately stepped in between the two men. "What is wrong with you, Eliot?"

"The bastard slept with her last night!"

She raised an eyebrow and moved out of Eliot's way. "Okay, then. Have at him."

Nate was saved from Eliot's fists by Sophie's voice floating down the stairs. "Nate? What's going on?"

He looked up and saw her in a rumpled dress shirt with her hair still messy and her eyes squinted with sleep. He couldn't help grinning at her; she didn't notice him, however, since her attention was focused on Eliot and Tara.

"What are you doing here?" Her cheeks started to color with embarrassment, and she clutched the shirt tighter to her body.

Tara spoke up first. "We were coming to check on you, and Eliot was going to cook breakfast."

"Wait, were the two of you together last night?" Nate hoped that maybe he would be able to shift the focus onto a new topic.

"No." Eliot was still growling, and he looked like he wanted to break Nate into very tiny pieces. "I went and picked her up from Sophie's apartment."

"But, now, the two of you." Tara grinned and Nate was reminded of a shark before the kill. "It seems you've had an exciting night."

Nate didn't think it was possible before that day for Sophie to blush as much as she was at that moment. He felt a little bad for her.

She looked around and stammered, "I'm going to go, um, get a shower and, well, maybe put on some clothes."

She retreated up the stairs, and Nate started edging his way in that direction because he really wanted to talk to her and make sure she was okay. Besides, it seemed like a safer idea than remaining in the same room as Eliot.

Tara noticed what he was doing and nodded her head. "Yeah, go take care of her, and I'll keep Eliot busy down here."

"I don't need a babysitter," Eliot growled.

"Just give them some alone time." She started herding him toward the kitchen. "Besides, I was promised breakfast, and I'm starving."

Nate left them to the task of breakfast and walked up the stairs. The door to his bedroom was closed, but he left himself in, suspecting that Sophie was already in the shower. He wasn't entirely correct. She was standing with her back to him, clad only in her underwear; she turned to face him, and he shut the door behind him.

Her lips curved upward in a shy smile. He crossed the room and rested his hands on her hips in a light grip, dipping his head down to kiss her. She pressed forward into him and slipped her hands into his hair as she traced her tongue along his lips and pushed it into his mouth. He rubbed gentle circles against her skin and held her a little tighter when she moaned and shuddered against him.

She moved away first. "I need a shower."

He reached for her again, but she brushed past him and grabbed a towel out of his second closet. He was already aching for her again, so he tried to follow after her.

"Alone, Nate."

She slipped into his bathroom and shut the door in his face. He sighed and lay down on the bed to maybe catch some extra sleep while he waited.

* * *

When she finished with her shower, she wrapped a towel around her body and padded back into Nate's bedroom. She smiled at the sight of him sleeping; she moved silently to the dresser and ran a comb through her hair before turning to contemplate his prone form.

She moved to the left side of the bed and slid along the mattress to his side. She reached out a tentative hand and brushed some of his unruly curls away from his face, smoothing her fingers along the furrows in his forehead that never really disappeared. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, drifting her fingers against the skin her lips were just pressed against. When he stirred, she withdrew and waited with bated breath.

His eyes opened, and she murmured, "Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

He grinned lazily, a byproduct of hovering in between sleep and wakefulness. "Hey."

She chose to not respond and brush her mouth against his, letting him cup the back of her head with his hand and hold her close. She pulled back first but let her hand fall to his chest where she rubbed small circles close to his heart. His smile filled her with warmth and an ache that she wanted to give into; she forced it away even as he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingertips then her palm.

Shivering, she left the bed in a quick movement and started rifling through one of his drawers for her underwear. "I'm sure Eliot will have breakfast ready soon. You should probably get a shower."

"Sophie." He got off the bed and made a move as if to join her at the dresser.

She held up her clothes as a shield and nodded her head to the bathroom. "Go. There should be plenty of hot water."

He sighed and stopped, grabbing a towel on his way out. Sophie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding the second he closed the door. She looked down at her trembling hands and regarded them like they belonged to someone else.

* * *

When Parker and Hardison showed up for breakfast, Sophie wondered if it might not be time for her to move out. She felt oddly displaced, something she had never equated before with the idea of sleeping in Nate's bed. With him. Of course, she had always imagined everything from last night happening under different circumstances, but she wasn't thinking about that at the moment because then she would have to reflect on what he had said and whether he meant it and what that would mean if he did…

"You look different." Parker's voice broke her out of her thoughts, and Sophie turned to address the other woman, just catching Tara's worried gaze.

"What do you mean?" Sophie tried to keep her voice light and unconcerned, but she was certain the truth was written all over her face; not that she lied anymore to the team, but she liked her privacy.

Parker shrugged and picked at the banana Sophie was sure she had stolen on the way to Nate's. Nate actually hated bananas and never kept them in his apartment; from the way his face would darken at the sight of one, she suspected it had something to do with Sam, and she wished that Parker had picked a different day to bring the offensive fruit with her.

"I don't know. You just look…different."

She felt almost positive that Parker could see the change that had made Eliot attack Nate and had Tara staring at her like she would break or something. And, if the looks Hardison was giving her were any indication, he had noticed it as well. Great.

"I'm thinking about moving back into my apartment," Sophie said, a little desperate to change the subject in case Hardison got it into his head to ask probing questions Parker couldn't find the words for or Eliot decided to just share what had happened.

Too bad that Nate was walking down the staircase at that exact moment. "What?"

She flinched and ducked her way past Parker to the kitchen; his timing could not be worse if he had actually tried. Parker's eyes followed her, full of questions, and Sophie turned to the coffee pot and started fixing a cup to distract herself.

Tara shrugged. "Makes sense. You are back to normal now."

_Physically_ was what Tara left off, but everyone could hear it in the silence anyway. Sophie felt the irritation spiral inside her chest and forced it down; she wanted a peaceful breakfast in the hopes that if feelings didn't run high, there wouldn't be any unwarranted confessions from Eliot or Nate. Eliot's mouth was closed so tightly that Sophie could see the muscles in his cheek jerking as he looked at Nate.

Parker was distracted by the pancakes, and Eliot slapped her impatient fingers away with a growled, "No, Parker. Go sit at the table."

"But it smells so good," Parker complained even as she slipped off her stool and wandered in the direction of the table.

Hardison trailed after her, and Sophie watched the two of them; she should ask about that later, maybe when Parker started asking questions again that she didn't want to answer. She stayed close to Eliot for the moment because that meant Nate would keep away. Tara leaned over and kissed her cheek, and as much as Sophie appreciated the sentiment, it was not helping.

"So, Parker, Tara, do you think you can help me gather up my things after breakfast?"

She needed to have this decision made now, before Nate could protest and ruin any illusions she had about keeping what happened last night a secret from Parker and Hardison; they would take the events to mean the wrong thing, much like Nate seemed to be doing.

"Of course," Tara agreed easily while Parker nodded. "It shouldn't take too long, and maybe we can even go see a movie later or something."

The idea of going to a movie theater where there would be a lot of people and a dark, enclosed space with loud noises made her almost shudder, but she held it in. She needed them to believe that she could handle herself in the normal world.

"That sounds like a good idea." She wished she could muster up more enthusiasm, but she didn't have it in her to actively lie to any of them. Not at the moment, anyway.

"I thought you were comfortable here. Will a change of environment, um, mess you up?" Nate kept his eyes locked on her and his voice on an even keel.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and settled into a chair. "If anything, being back in my home will help."

His eyes darkened at that, and she looked down into her coffee cup, her hands tightening around it; Tara and Eliot took the seats on either side of her, and Parker nearly dove across the table in a bid to reach the pancakes first. Sophie just sipped on her coffee and watched as the others dug into the food. A plate piled high with eggs, bacon, pancakes dripping with syrup, and fresh strawberries slid in front of her. She glared at Nate even as he grinned at her.

"I'm not a child."

"No, but you should have a kid," Parker said as she twirled her pancake-filled fork through a puddle of syrup. "It'd be really pretty. Like you."

Crimson stained her cheeks, and she studiously avoided Nate's eyes because memories of the night before had helpfully popped back into her head. Eliot chuckled into his food, clearly amused by the level of discomfort at the table. Even Tara was having a hard time holding back a giggle; Hardison was just looking between Nate and Sophie, realization growing on his face.

"Oh, no, do not tell me that…the two of you," he spluttered around his words, and Sophie desperately wished she could launch herself across the table to stop him.

Parker turned to look at him, her head cocked to the side. "What? Is something going on?"

"Are the two of you sleeping together?" Hardison finally managed to get the question out, and Parker's curious expression froze and melted into blankness.

Sophie was pretty sure that she didn't have to answer because her cheeks were flaming, and Nate was ducking his head and trying to stammer out something that clearly meant, yes, it was true.

"Does that mean you and Nate are together now?" Parker asked her the question, and Sophie knew there was no getting out of this.

"No." She pushed her plate aside and stood up. "I don't think I'm all that hungry, so I'm going upstairs to start packing."

"I'll come with you," Tara offered.

Sophie felt a rush of gratitude for the gesture of solidarity and left the table as quickly as she could. Nate didn't really deserve to be left alone with the others and their questions that would be asked, but she could not deal with any of that without revealing more than she wanted them to know. About her tenuous relationship with Nate or herself.

Nate watched Sophie and Tara head up the stairs and waited for the inevitable questioning and rebukes that should start any moment.

"Why aren't the two of you together?"

The first question was from Hardison, which was pretty much what he had expected. Parker always took a bit longer to process information and figure out what to ask to find out what she wanted to know.

"It's complicated. We haven't had a chance to talk about anything yet."

"Why not?'

"Because we've been interrupted by unwelcome visitors," he replied pointedly and with mild irritation.

Eliot coughed and started gathering up the dishes from the mostly forgotten breakfast. Parker was the only one still eating. Hardison's face hardened, and Nate remembered that as easy as it was to treat them all like kids, they were adults.

"If you hurt her, it'll be hell to pay, man," Hardison warned.

"You won't, will you?" Parker finally spoke up, and her voice was so soft and unsure that Nate felt the stab of the aching feeling that accompanied his memories of Sam.

"Not on purpose," he responded in a quiet voice.

Parker looked worried by something, but she just slipped away from the table and bounded up his stairs. Hardison glared at him again, but the expression was losing its impact.

"Be useful and help me with the dishes," Eliot said, dragging Hardison away from the table.

Nate contemplated his coffee cup and longed for a shot of Irish whiskey to make the morning go down a little easier. He had no clue what was going on with Sophie, and it looked like he would be left in the dark for a good while longer if she had any say in the matter. Damned stubborn woman.


	12. Decide

**I just wanted to thank all of you for your reviews and say that I'm happy you've stuck this out with me. We're getting very close to the end. Only one or two more chapters, and it will be over. **

**This chapter delves into some darker stuff dealing with the fallout of Sophie keeping most of this bottled up inside. I hope it doesn't seem out-of-character because the point of this isn't to make her weaker or to increase the angst. I feel like this a logical progression of events and wasn't too far out of the realm of possibility to take Sophie.**

**I hope you guys like this chapter. Don't forget to review to let me know what you think.**

* * *

Eliot passed a cup of black coffee to Tara. "You look like shit."

"Thanks, I guess," she muttered, sipping at the hot liquid and grimacing when it burned her lips. "Haven't been sleeping much."

"What's going on? Too many hot guys taking you home?"

"I'm not a slut." She sighed. "Sophie's nightmares are getting worse, and instead of talking to me about it, she locks herself in the bathroom for hours."

"I don't get it. I thought she was getting better." He picked up his own mug and stirred some milk into it. "What changed?"

"I don't know because she won't talk to me about it."

Tara huffed with her irritation and frowned, tracing her fingers along her cup's rim; Eliot settled back into his chair and waited. He had learned a long time ago that silence was normally more productive than anything else.

"I'm worried about her. She can be so…self-destructive," Tara murmured.

"Like Nate can be?" If that was the case, then he would be staging an intervention immediately.

"She's not looking for death, if that's what you're thinking. But she's not really eating or sleeping, and I wonder sometimes if it's her way of punishing herself."

"Punishment for what?"

"I'm pretty sure she feels like she used Nate." Tara ducked her head then gave him a bitter smile. "He told her that he loves her."

"When?" Tara raised an eyebrow, and Eliot let out a long breath. "Well, that ain't good. How did you find out about that?"

"A very long rant when Sophie freaked out about him."

"And? How does she feel about him?"

"I have no idea considering she hasn't sorted herself out from her traumatic experience of being tortured and raped. The world doesn't revolve around Nate Ford, you know."

He glared at her. "Darling, I ain't really concerned about him right now."

"Right. Sorry."

"So where is she right now?"

"Probably still in bed, asleep. That's where she was when I left."

* * *

Sophie slipped out of her pajama pants and shirt, letting them fall to the floor. She pushed her hair back from her face and considered what in her closet she could wear without showing off exactly how much weight she had lost.

"What the hell did you do?"

Sophie jumped and grabbed her shirt to cover her chest. She turned and just looked at Parker; she was certain that she hadn't heard the door open.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sophie stammered as Parker stalked toward her.

Parker ignored her and pushed her back onto the bed, settling on her heels in between Sophie's thighs.

"Parker, I don't really think this is a good idea…"

Parker touched her skin, and Sophie winced.

"You've been cutting yourself." Parker's voice was flat, and she traced her finger along the marks. "Why?"

Sophie closed her eyes and tried to ignore the burning from the more recent cuts; she had gone a little too deep on the last one, and Parker put more pressure on the angry red line. Sophie yelped and tried to kick Parker away.

"No." Parker got an iron-grip on Sophie's legs and leaned over. "Why?"

"How did you get in here?"

"Why?"

"Is that the only word in your vocabulary? Honestly, Parker."

"Why?"

"Get off of me!"

"Goddamn it, why?" Parker roared, slapping Sophie's thigh right on a fresh cut.

Sophie screamed at the flash of pain and lay as still as she could while she blinked against the black spots in her vision and tried to take calm breaths. She was vaguely aware of Parker's ragged breathing and her cool cheek against Sophie's blazing skin.

Sophie licked her lips and murmured, "If you'll let me put on some clothes, I'll tell you."

Parker stood in an agile movement and leaned over her. "Don't even think about trying to run away."

"Don't worry. I doubt I would get very far."

Sophie gave her a gentle smile, but Parker just stared down at her, her face as impassive as stone; Sophie hated when she couldn't read Parker. Parker finally moved away, and Sophie pushed her body into a sitting position, the dull throbbing underneath her skin pulling a gasp from her lips.

Sophie slipped the shirt back over her head and patted the bed beside her. Parker settled on the edge; Sophie sighed and combed her hair away from her face.

"Tell me why."

"It helps me," Sophie said quietly. "There are times when all I can think about is what happened, and I feel like I'm going crazy."

"How does the cutting help with that?" Parker interrupted, her eyes flickering back down to Sophie's legs then to her face.

"It hurts, but…cutting myself makes me focus on the physical pain rather than…what I can't handle." Sophie let out a long breath. "Does that make any sense?"

Parker blinked and looked again at the cuts. "Show me."

"What do you mean?"

"Make me feel that kind of pain."

"Parker, why? I can't…I won't…"

"I want to understand." Parker held her gaze for several long seconds before saying again, "Show me."

Sophie studied the woman for a little while, looking for some sign that this was all some fucked-up dream; she finally stood up and walked to her bathroom. She opened the cabinets under her sink and pulled out a razor blade she had hidden there. She returned to the bed and placed it between her and Parker.

"Give me your arm." Parker hesitated, and Sophie reached out her hand as she explained gently, "I don't want you to go too deep."

Parker surrendered her arm, and Sophie took it in her hands and picked up the razor.

"What happens next?" Parker whispered.

"I want you to tell me about what makes you want to run away, the feelings that make you want to curl up and die. What haunts your nightmares?"

Parker closed her eyes, her brow wrinkling; she looked back at Sophie and shook her head.

"I can't say it out loud."

"All right. Just, try thinking about it, then, and when it feels like too much, squeeze my arm."

Parker answered by wrapping her fingers around Sophie's arm and letting her eyes fall closed. Sophie watched Parker's face, looking for some hint of emotional turmoil. She had an idea of what some of Parker's pain stemmed from, but she was sure there were plenty of secrets Parker wanted to keep about her past. Parker's mouth tightened, and a moment later, she squeezed her fingers around Sophie's arm; Sophie waited. Parker curled her fingers in even more until Sophie winced.

She pressed the razor against Parker's skin, pushing the edge in just deep enough to break the skin; she drew the blade across Parker's arm in a straight line until the blood welled up. Sophie stopped the cut just as Parker ripped her arm away, her eyes wide and staring at Sophie.

"Parker, I…"

Parker bolted from the room before Sophie could say anything else.

* * *

Hardison stepped out onto the roof of Nate's apartment building; Parker hadn't been answering any of his phone calls, and that normally meant she was hiding out on the roof. She was currently sprawled on the concrete, one of her rigs in her hands. It looked like she was fixing something, but he couldn't tell.

"Hey." He walked over to her and stopped a few feet short. "I tried calling you."

She didn't look up from the wire she was pulling on. "I just wanted to be alone for a little while."

He nodded his head and settled down beside her, careful to leave a few inches of space between them; she didn't like to be touched when she was like this.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She slipped one of the straps free, and he noticed that it was fraying. She ran her fingers over it and sighed, flinging the entire harness to the side.

"The straps always mess up first." She turned a little toward him, chewing on her lower lip. "I have something to tell you."

"Okay, mama, lay it on me." He brushed his fingers against the back of her hand and gave her a smile.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'm worried about Sophie."

"What about Sophie?" He was trying to focus on the issue at hand, but his excitement over Parker holding his hand was distracting.

Parker turned her arm over and pulled up her sleeve; he saw the long cut on her arm and grabbed her so she couldn't slip away.

"Parker, what happened? Did Sophie do this to you?"

"I wanted her to show me what it felt like."

"What, Parker? What the hell is going on?" He couldn't stop staring at the cut.

"She's been cutting herself, and I asked her to do it to me so I would understand."

"Parker…I…" He struggled to find something to say and finally blurted out, "Nate. We have to tell Nate."

He pulled her to her feet and dragged her off the rooftop and down the stairs, banging their way into Nate's apartment.

"Nate!" Parker struggled a little against his grip, but he just tightened his fingers. "Nate!"

Nate appeared at the top of the stairs, a glass in his hand. "What, Hardison?"

Nate walked down the stairs while Hardison pulled Parker in his direction. "Parker has something to tell you."

"Sophie's going to kill you," Parker hissed, attempting to twist away from him.

"What's going on?" Nate looked between the two of them; his eyes darkened when they landed on the long cut marking Parker's arm. "What happened?"

"Sophie," Hardison started, but Parker kicked the back of his leg. "Damn, girl, what was that for?"

She glared at him, and he let her go, only for Nate to grab onto her arm.

"Where did you get that cut, Parker?"

She stared sullenly at the floor and mumbled, "Sophie."

"Sophie hurt you?"

"I just wanted to understand."

Hardison watched Nate's brow furrow as he processed Parker's words, and he saw the horror blossom on the older man's face. He let Parker go, and she retreated a few steps, running her fingers over where they had both rubbed her skin a little raw. Eliot and Tara walked in the door, and Eliot stopped short of the group, his posture stiffening at the tension rolling out in waves from them.

"What's going on?" he growled, his eyes flicking from Parker to Nate.

"It seems that Sophie has been cutting herself," Nate responded, his voice tight.

Hardison eyed Eliot and managed to make it to the door to stop both him and Tara from storming out. "Hey, hey, now I think we need to decide as a group how to handle this."

"I'll take care of it," Nate said immediately.

"I don't see why someone else can't handle the situation since you and Sophie aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment," Tara shot back.

"And this has been happening right under your nose," Eliot snapped at her. "Neither of you should do anything. Probably only cause more problems."

"Why don't we have, like, a group intervention thing?" Hardison suggested.

"And embarrass her and make her withdraw further. Yeah, great idea," Tara told him with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, he's just trying to help," Eliot said in a low voice.

"Nate should talk to her." Everyone turned to look at Parker, and she shuffled her feet a little. "She'll listen to him."

Eliot looked like he was going to argue, but he gave her a terse nod of his head; Tara just sighed. Parker turned her attention to Nate, and Hardison didn't really understand their silent communication, but Nate seemed to get whatever Parker was trying to say.

Eliot met Nate's eyes for a moment before slipping out the door, Tara hot on his heels. Hardison decided he would ask Eliot about what was going on between him and Tara later. Parker walked up to him and took his hand; he felt another small thrill rush through him.

"We should go," she said quietly.

He let her pull him to the door, glancing back at Nate as they stepped into the hallway. The man looked tired and worn, but Hardison pushed the worry away.

* * *

Nate watched from where he was sitting on the stairs as Sophie stepped into his apartment and paused.

"What's going on?" she asked, giving him a small smile.

He stood and walked over to her; he stopped barely an inch away from her, his hands coming up to grip her hips. She took in a sharp breath, and he grasped the loops of her jeans, jerking them down her legs.

"What the hell?"

She tried to push him away, but he wrapped his hands around her shoulders in an iron grip, his eyes staring down at the red marks on her thighs.

"I don't understand, Sophie. Why…why would you do something like this?"

She tilted her head back and narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

He shook her a little, trembling with fury. "Goddamn it, Sophie, this stops now!"

"What are you going to do if I don't?"

"I'll throw you into a psych ward until you get the help you need." His voice broke, and he blinked away the tears gathering in his eyes. "Something has to change, and I'll do whatever it takes."

"I don't _want_ help! Why can't you just fucking leave me alone?" She twisted out of his grip and turned her back on him, defiantly crossing her arms across her chest.

"Soph, you know you can't keep going on like this." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're going to end up killing yourself."

"Maybe I don't deserve to live." He could hear the tears in her voice.

He reached out for her. "Sophie…"

"I used you, Nate," she snapped as she whirled around and pushed him back. "Why the hell do you want to help me? Are you just a glutton for punishment?"

"I knew what I was doing when I had sex with you." She turned away from him again, and he had to fight his instincts to chase after her. "I was trying to be what you needed because…because I…love you."

Her shoulders sagged, and she looked back at him. "Nate, I can't…"

"This isn't about what's happening or anything between the two of us," he said firmly, edging around her until he was facing her. "I want you to know that I'm here. For you, no matter what you need from me."

"I don't know what I need anymore," she whispered. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "I don't want to be locked up."

"Then you have to talk to us. Let us help you."

"I don't know if I can…"

"Of course you can. You're Sophie fucking Devereaux. You can do _anything_."

Her lips twitched with amusement at the words. "Eliot said something similar to me awhile ago."

"Yeah, I kind of stole it from him." Nate grinned and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be okay, Soph. It might take awhile, but it will happen. I promise."

She nodded her head and let him wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her close; she hesitated then looped her arms across his back and rested her against his shoulder.


End file.
